The Fire Witch
by trp0522
Summary: A Rei & Jadeite, and Princess Serenity & Prince Endymion SM story. Now with Queen Selene sequestered, the power has fallen to a Triumvirate. One member, of the Trimvirate, Defensive Minster Philolaus believes that Rei is a traitor, but Minako stands in hi
1. Chapter 1: Best Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, which is own by Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha and Toei Animation

Author Notes: Hi, this is a Rei/Jadeite, and Princess Serenity/Prince Endymion AU Silver Millennium story. I might throw in a few other pairings... maybe. I also am looking for a beta reader. This is my first fanfic, and I hope you like it.

The Fire Witch

By trp0522

Chapter One: Best Friends

_11:30 A.M. Local Time_

_Tsuki-Yumi, the White City Capital of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium _

_30th Day of the Month of Hyperion,_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Within the Central Lunar Agrodome, two laughing girls about ten years of age ran across the lush green grass. Although they were polar opposites they were the best of friends.

The younger of the two girls, by a couple of months, wore a pure white dress. Her silvery hair was done up into a pair of ordangos with long pigtails trailing like twin ribbons dangling in the artificial wind.

Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom turned to the raven haired girl next to her and inquired. "Rei-chan? What is it?"

Without turning her head, the Fire Senshi glanced out of the corner of her eye. Frowning inwardly at the paper thin security detail consisting of only six Lunar Knights and two detachments from the 1st Regiment of the Lunar Royal Guards.

"I just wish that the others were here," Rei answered.

Minako the Princess of Venus and leader of the Senshi was recalled to attend a diplomatic gala at the request of her mother the Queen Eos the Goddess of the Dawn. While Ami the Princess of Mercury and Makoto the Princess of Jupiter was on a humanitarian mission assisting the victims of a plague that broke out on the Jovian moon of Europa.

"Yeah me too," Princess Serenity replied as a melancholy mood began to take root in her eyes.

Princess Serenity found herself in a fierce and passionate hug and after a moments hesitation she return it with equal gusto. The Moon Princess found herself wondering, how the Martian Princess always seems to know when she was feeling blue and exactly how to cheer her up again.

"Feeling better?" Rei asked.

"Uh-huh," Princess Serenity replied.

"Good you should not be sad, especially on today of all days." Rei said.

"What do you mean, Rei-chan?" Princess Serenity inquired.

"Well today is the only day in the year when you are allowed to simply be yourself and perhaps even pretend that you are just an ordinary girl instead of the _prim and proper _High Princess of the Silver Millennium." Rei continued as she emphasized the words prim and proper in an imitation of Luna, Queen Selene's court advisor.

"Yet even today… I am still surrounded by guards," Princess Serenity said in a thoughtful voice and she rubbed her forefingers together. "Say Rei-chan, I have an ideal… Lets dismissed the guards and just spend the day together."

"NO!" Rei exploded.

"I mean no Princess, after all if you dismiss the guards I would be too nervous watching for would be assassins, I would not have any chance to have fun too." Rei said trying to explain her outburst.

"Oh Rei-chan, you don't have to look after me. I can take care of myself; I am not completely helpless you know." Princess Serenity boasted.

"Serenity-chan, listen to me." Rei began her tone deadly serious. "I am your Senshi. It is the sole reason why I was reborn, is to protect you."

"Ok Rei-chan, I guess the guards can stay." The Moon Princess relented with a sigh, not wanting to get into the same old argument with her senshi.

"Thank you Serenity, you wouldn't regret it I promise that we will have the best of times, so much so you would not even notice the guards again." Rei vowed.

"Really?" The Princess Serenity asked still not sounding a hundred percent convinced.

"Of course Usagi," Rei began as she used the Senshi's pet-name for their Princess. "Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

"Well… no," Serenity began.

"I tell you what, I even promise not to loose my temper no matter how ditzy you act or how much you pig out. Now let us have a good time." Rei pledged as she grabbed the Princess's hand and began leading her down the trail to the picnic site.

"Thank you Rei-chan." Princess Serenity beamed, as she began hopping up and down in excitement, and thus lived up to her nickname, and as a consequence broke away from Rei's grip.

Suddenly Serenity stopped and exclaimed in epiphany. "Hey! That means you can't tease me or call me names!"

"That's true, but only for today mind you," Rei conceded with a grin.

"…and you can't be mean to me," the Moon Princess continued with a mysterious smile as she skipped along ahead of the lavender eyed girl. Serenity turned and said in a sweet voice. "Oh, Rei-chan? Race you to the picnic baskets and the winner eats the losers' dessert."

And with that the Moon Princess dashed forward as if the fires of the inferno were hot on her tail.

"ODANGO ATAMA!"

* * *

"I can't believe that you broke your promise to me," the cerulean eyed princess remorselessly teased her hot-tempered best friend. All the while taking full advantage of the other girl's oath. 

"What? I did not! I have always kept my word to you," the raven haired girl in the red dress objected. The girls were seated close together, facing each other, their legs folded with their knees touching and their backs leaning against the trucks of a pair of cherry trees.

"Yes, you did. You got angry and called me 'odango atama'." Princess Serenity playfully bantered as she stuffed a piece of cake down her mouth, smearing the chocolate frosting all over her lips.

"I was not angry," the Fire Senshi insisted as the artificial wind shifted.

"_Sure_ Rei-chan," Serenity mocking agreed as the sakura blossoms began to fall around the girls.

"I was just surprised that you would use such a cheep trick to steal my dessert," Rei pouted as Serenity snatched the last serving of Rei's dessert. The Princess of Mars had made arrangements that both Serenity and herself receive double serving knowing full well that the Moon Princess would quickly devour her own lunch and then proceed to mooch off of Rei.

"But it worked," Serenity smirked.

Rolling her eyes, Rei took a napkin and dipped it in water, as she did so Rei inquired. "So how was the cake?"

"De-licious," the odango haired girl blissfully answered.

Rei lean forward to clean her princess chocolate frosting covered face, when she suddenly stopped, the napkin falling to the ground. Rei quickly reached into her hyper-dimensional pocket retrieving her henshin pen. Taking a rapid glance around Rei noted that the area appear secure and was about to wave the nearest security team command by Corporal Tenedos over when Serenity interrupted.

"Rei-chan what is it?" The Moon Princess inquired.

"There is an evil presence nearby, stay behind me and run when I tell you to," The Fire Senshi ordered.

"What? That can't be! This is the Moon Kingdom, we should be safe here; we are safe here." Serenity protested.

Rei ignore her princess' outburst and turned to wave Corporal Tenedos' team over, when she noticed the security team was missing…

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

Rei felt an adrenaline rush of power, as the remaining sparks of her divinity combined with the power of the planet Mars culminated in the fires of her transformation. Her clothes melted off and were replaced by a red and white fuku.

Where Rei the Princess of Mars once stood there was only Sailor Mars.

A small group of humanoid warriors leap out of the foliage hurling javelins at the Princess Serenity and Sailor Mars.

Sailor Mars recognized the reptilian warriors at once and what she was up against. These particular reptilian warriors were covered in russet colored scales with the heads of asps with the arms and legs of humans; they only wore short skirts and a loin cloth and of course their natural scale armor.

Sailor Mars placed her forefingers together like a gun and shouted.

"FIRE SOUL!"

A fireball shootout of the fingertips of Sailor Mars' hands and incinerated the javelins before the weapons could harm either her princess or herself. The fireball continued on to detonate in the center of the charging reptilian warriors sending flaming body parts flying everywhere. While the reptilian warriors on the outskirts became living torches as they flailed about in agony.

Sailor Mars did not stay and watch her gruesome handy work; as soon as the fireball departed from her fingertips Mars scooped Princess Serenity up in both arms, leaped away and began running a random pattern as more javelins flew passed them from various different angles.

"Rei-chan, what are those things?" Princess Serenity asked in a somewhat frighten voice.

"They are called Sar'tekh, Serenity-chan. Long ago on my home world there were a people who worship the Dark God Set," Sailor Mars replied.

"You mean those things were once _human_? What happened to them?" The Moon Princess asked.

"During Sets' travels he came across a temple built by the ancients during the time when the Titians and their children, the Elder Gods slept. Something within that temple corrupted Set, for when he emerged from the Dark Temple he foreswore his oaths and his position as Protector of Mars. He used his new found dark powers to alter his followers into the Sar'tekh and raised the banner of rebellion against his brother-god Pharaoh Osiris." Mars answered.

"And they still worship Set even after what he did to them," Serenity naively inquired.

"I am afraid so Princess, the Sar'tekh looked upon their changed state as a sign of Sets' favor." The Solder of Fire answered.

Serenity screamed as a flight of javelins flew out of the flora.

Sailor Mars ducked to her left as a javelin whooshed by her head its obsidian tip slicing through a few strains of Mars' raven black hair.

Another group of sar'tekh warriors charged out of the undergrowth, their poison tipped weapons drawn and hissing a war-cry in a dialect of Sar'tekh Sailor Mars wasn't completely familiar with.

With their escape path cutoff Sailor Mars leaped toward an outcrop of boulders.

Landing behind cover, Mars placed her princess in the safest spot she could find and said. "Stay down Serenity-chan."

"FIRE SOUL!" Sailor Mars shouted, wiping out another batch of sar'tekh warriors and forcing the remainder to take cover.

She turned on her communicator and reported in a claim voice. "This is Sailor Mars; we have a security breach in Sector Eight of the Central Agrodome. I repeat, multiple sar'tekh warriors have breach Sector Eight of the Central Agrodome."

"This is Knight Commander Ichino, what is the status of the Princess, Sailor Mars?" the image of a graying but muscular man in his late forties appeared on the communicator.

"She is unharmed Knight Commander, but we are surrounded and cutoff." Sailor Mars replied.

"Thanks be to Selene," Ichino breathe a sigh of relief. "Hold on Sailor Mars, we are on our way."

Sailor Mars never waited for the reply for at that moment she dropped the communicator and fired off another Fire Soul.

"Serenity-chan, don't cry. I am going to need you to be strong; can you do that for me?" Sailor Mars asked with a reassuring smile.

"Y-yes Rei-chan, I will try." Princess Serenity said, wiping off her tears with the back of her sleeves of her perfect white dress."

"That's my princess," Sailor Mars encouraged as she handed Serenity the communicator, which she had previously retrieved. "Now I need you to give Knight Commander Ichino a description of where we are and let me know when his men are approaching and from what direction, so I don't accidentally hit our own people."

"Ok Rei-chan," The Moon Princess nodded grateful that she could do something more than that of the traditional lunar role of a lady of her breeding and station, that is simply waiting for a knight in shining armor to save her.

"Rei-chan," Princess Serenity began. "I-I wished I was strong like you."

"Serenity-chan… you are stronger than me." Sailor Mars confessed, she then turned and gave Serenity a smile that was somehow at the same time cocky, reassuring and teasing and added. "After all, I am a Martian and have you ever known a Martian to follow a weak leader?"

After that there was no more time for conversation, Sailor Mars spent the next fifteen minutes holding off the sar'tekh onslaught. Nonetheless Mars was tiring the fireballs from her Fire Soul attacks were no longer as devastating. While, flames and chocking smoke filled the landscape around the rocky outcropping that was once filled with lush plant life. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she noticed the glimmer of reptilian scale crawling through the undergrowth to her right.

"FIRE SOUL!" Sailor Mars shouted as the fireball sail from her fingertips striking the leader and setting the surrounding foliage aflame

"Rei, behind you!" Princess Serenity screamed.

Mars turned only to be struck in the shoulder by a well thrown javelin. The projectile was flung with a strength that it would have passed through the Fire Senshi and pinned her to the ground. Lucky, a Senshi's fuku is more than an impractical decorative uniform, its magical clothe is softer and more flexible then silk but at the same time offer more protection than plate armor. The fuku deflected most of the damage nevertheless the javelin hit home and imbedded itself into Sailor Mars' flesh... Spinning Mars around and tossing her roughly into the ground.

Like a dark specter of doom, the Sar'tekh warrior came forth from the smoke filled field and with a single motion grabbed the shaft of the javelin. Mars meanwhile, struggled to move as she fought the paralyzing effect of the poison.

Throwing his weight forward the Sar'tekh sent the weapon tearing deeper into the Solder of Fire's body until it wedged itself into bone.

Sailor Mars gritted her teeth in silent agony, as the Sar'tekh sadistically twisted the javelin. Using the projectile weapon, the Sar'tekh lifted the raven haired senshi into the air and watched her dangle like a speared fish.

"You have truly become pathetic Sssun Goddesss. You never ssshould have become sssenssshi… you ssseam to have become nothing more than a pale ssshadow of your old ssself. You ssshall die by my hand Sssun Goddesss and I ssshall offer your princesss to my Demon Goddesss." The Sar'tekh taunted, before slamming Mars against a boulder.

The Sar'tekh warrior then made a mistake, repeating the same maneuver twice. Sailor Mars anticipated the veteran Sar'tekh warrior's next series of moves and broke the shaft using an open-knife hand strike.

Sailor Mars felled face first onto the rocky uneven ground. She was bleeding from a cut above her left eye, her ankle seemed twisted at an odd angle and Mars found it difficult to breathe. The Fire Senshi would venture to guess that she either cracked or broken a couple of ribs.

The Sar'tekh warrior stood over the lavender eyed senshi ready to skewer the girl in the back with the splinter point of the broken javelin, when suddenly a rock hit him in the temple.

The Sar'tekh stumbled, a couple of steps back before shaking his head clear. Turning the Sar'tekh found himself confronting a rather angry Moon Princess.

"Leave my Rei-chan alone!" Serenity demanded, as she began to pelt the Sar'tekh warrior with a barrage of marble sized pebbles.

Unfortunately Princess Serenity's remaining attacks were attacks weren't effective as the first one, for the vast majority of the pebbles bounded harmless off the Sar'tekh's natural tough scale armor.

The Sar'tekh confidently advanced on the Princess.

Serenity's true self, Usagi the bubby and ditzy normal girl who was only allowed to live one day out of an entire year, faded away and in her place wearing a determined and regal mask of pose and elegance stood a princess.

"Hold vile Sar'tekh, I am Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom and High Princess of the Silver Millennium. I shall not allow you or others of your foul kind to further taint my beloved homeland any longer." The Moon Princess, declared in an authoritative tone.

Surprisingly the Sar'tekh _did stop_, either compelled by some latent power that the daughter of the Moon Goddess Selene possessed or perhaps by curiosity at the Princess's sudden change of demeanor.

Princess Serenity raised her chin and looked down disdainfully at the Sar'tekh and continued. "…And how dare you destroy the Peace of the Silver Millennium, ruined the day of two girls enjoying a picnic and MOST IMPORTANTLY how dare you HURT MY SAILOR MARS!"

The Sar'tekh remained in a dazed Moon Struck like state in silence.

"…Drop your weapons and yield immediately or in the Name of the Moon, I shall punish you!" Serenity finished.

Finally breaking free of his trance-like-state the Sar'tekh raised his broken javelin, chuckled venomously and said. "Well ssspoken Princesss Ssserenity. But tell me how will you _punisssh me_? Your attacksss are ineffectual, your royal guardsss are ssslain or otherwissse occupied and your sssenssshi hasss fallen."

The Moon Princess gave a mysterious smile at a spot behind the Sar'tekh's shoulder; with a confident nod of her head she took a full step back as she said. "That might be… nonetheless I did not underestimate Mars' determination to protect me."

The Sar'tekh realized his mistake, he had forgotten what every warrior-apprentice on Mars, both Sar'tekh and Human knew… 'Never leave a living enemy behind.' Yet somehow this girl, this Princess Serenity lured him into doing just that, what moon madness. The Sar'tekh heard the first of a two word enchantment that would spell his doom.

"Fire…" Sailor Mars weakly began.

The Sar'tekh turned and threw his javelin using only the sound of Sailor Mars' voice to guild him.

"…SOUL!" Mars shouted with all of her remaining strength. Instead of her usual fireball a fan of flame shoot out of the spread open fingertips of her hands. The shockwave from jet of flame at first reduced the broken javelin into tiny splinters and then into ashes. Before setting the Sar'tekh's torso ablaze, like a candle.

The lifeless body of the veteran Sar'tekh warrior fell, everything above his waist a char husk

Sailor Mars legs wobble and as she began to fall, her fuku braking into strains of red and white ribbons, utterly drained the Solder of Fire detransformed back into the Princess of Mars clothed in her red dress.

"Rei!" Princess Serenity cried as she cradled the wounded girl in her arms.

"Princess…" Rei began, but was interrupted as the image of Knight Commander Ichino reappearing on the communicator.

"Princess, please instruct Sailor Mars not to fire towards the East. We shall engage the enemy on there." Knight Commander Ichino requested.

"Understood Knight Commander, but please hurry Sailor Mars has been wounded." Princess Serenity said.

"We will be there promptly." Ichino, paladin of Selene promised.

"Princess," Rei began again. "When Ichino attacks, he will create an opening in the Sar'tekh lines. But that opening will not last long; Ichino, his knights and the remains of the Royal Guard detachments are too few in numbers. When I give the word, run towards the safety of Ichino's position."

Cerulean blue eyes meet lavender.

"I am not going to let you sacrifice yourself, Rei." Princess Serenity softly said.

"I do not intend to Serenity-chan, if I did then who is going to keep you out of trouble?" Rei quipped with a cocky grin.

The Odango haired Princess threw her arms around the lavender eyed Martian into a tight hug, before helping the wounded girl up. Together the girls made their way to the edge of the rocky outcropping.

From the safety of cover Rei and Serenity could see the Sar'tekh war-party slowly crossing the scorched ground using whatever cover was available from smoking char tree trunks to patches of choking grayish-black smoke to screen their press forward. The Sar'tekh painfully learned that a frontal assault on a Senshi amounted to suicide.

Suddenly a flight of bolts fired from the Royal Guards, flew in from the East and tore into the left flank of the Sar'tekh lines. A second volley of light crossbow fire from the Royal Guards halted the Sar'tekh advance. Then the Lunar Knights fire a third volley. The Lunar Knights were each armed with a handheld magical focus called a moonstone, which evoked the power of Selene. Each of the moonstones flashed twice releasing a lethal moonbeam, which shone death into the ranks of the Sar'tekh, causing even the fanatical asp-warriors to break and run.

"To the Princess!" Ichino ordered, as the Lunar Forces charged into and began cutting down the fleeing Sar'tekh warriors.

"Now Serenity-chan, run as fast as you can." Rei urged.

"Not without you, Rei-chan." Serenity protested, holding tightly onto Rei's arm.

"I will just slow you down Princess; I promise to stay right behind you." Rei said.

"No. We will go together and that is an order Senshi," Serenity calmly commanded in her authoritative Princess voice.

Together the girls ran towards the relative protection of the Lunar lines.

At the center of the Sar'tekh lines, stood a massively built asp-man about seven feet tall with shining copper scales, marked by strange shadowy tattoos and ten silver rune-pen piercings on the sides and rear of his reptilian head and dangling from each rune-pen was a cord made of human flesh that held 'a living eyeball' which eerily glanced around of their own accord. On the Sar'tekh's left hand was a round purplish-black mace with two curved shaped prongs extending from one side of the mace, like the fangs of a serpent.

To Rei's psychic senses the mace emanated a strong aura of darkness.

"I think we are in trouble Rei-chan." Princess Serenity gulped; together they watched the mace carrying Sar'tekh rally the fleeing enemy, before the Moon Princess asked. "Is he their king?"

"No, I think a shaman of some type, but unlike any that I have heard of before. The glyphs of the tattoos are all wrong, they do not show signs of favor from Set nor do they pledge themselves as the reformed 'Serpents of the Light' who supposedly foresworn Set and took an Oath of Allegiance to my late mother the Pharaoh-Queen Benu and her... _consort_ the Jovian-born Warlord Aries." Rei answered, as she nudged Serenity behind a group of Royal Guardsmen who formed into a defensive shieldwall formation.

"Lady Rei, take the Princess to the back of the lines. Royal Guardsmen, here they come! Protect the Princess at all cost and send these snakeheaded sons of bitchs back to Tartarus!" Lieutenant Magaribuchi ordered.

The Sar'tekh counteracted, their thrown javelins succeeded only in bouncing harmlessly off the guardsmen's interlocking shields. However, the guardsmen victory was short lived as the Sar'tekh crashed into the Lunar line with a vengeance.

Serenity took a glance backwards, and her heart went out to those she was leaving behind in the brutal, desperate melee taking place where no quarter was asked or given. She saw a sergeant; his shield knocked away, parried an attacked from a Sar'tekh fang-blade with a sword in one hand and with the other hand stabbed his Sar'tekh advisory in the groin with his dagger.

In other place, the Moon Princess watched one of Ichino's Knights struggling against a muscular Sar'tekh warrior; they seemed evenly matched until the Sar'tekh spat poison into the young knight's face, sending the screaming young man convulsing on the floor. Mercifully the young knight's screaming soon ended.

In the center, she saw Lieutenant Magaribuchi fall, dragged down by an onrush of five Sar'tekh warriors. To her far left, on a ridge stood a small group of guardsmen fighting as one, their shields locked in a wedge-like-formation and their swords thrusting through any opening finding the flesh of anyone foolish enough to challenge them, around them a small pile of reptilian bodies lay.

"Rei, we can not just leave them there! We have to go back and help them," Serenity began. Instead of answering the raven haired girl took one weak stumbling step forward, followed by another. "Rei-chan?" Serenity worriedly inquired.

"U-Usagi-chan…" Rei began, her teeth chattering together. "I-I am sorry I d-don't think I..." Rei softy said, collapsing into Serenity's arms. Her lips blue from blood lost and her body succumbing to the paralyzing poison.

"Reiii!" Serenity screamed. 'No! This is all my fault,' She thought, 'I should have remembered to bandaged Rei wounds!' Cradling Rei's head in her lap she cried in soul wrenching despair. "Rei come back, I don't know what I do without you, come back. Don't die on me!"

Serenity's tears flowed down her checks and landed on Rei's wounds, slowly the poisoned tip of the javelin that was still imbedded in Rei's shoulder began to fade, and her wounds began to heal.

"Serenity-chan?" Rei asked as her eyes fluttered open.

"Reiii!" Serenity happily sobbed and was about to throw her arms around the Fire Senshi once again, when a mailed hand touched her shoulder.

"Your Highness, we do not have much time left. The Sar'tekh has broken through Lieutenant Magaribuchi's defensive perimeter. We must evacuate you and the Lady Rei to the moonbridge in sector six, until we can organize a proper response to this intrusion." Knight-Commander Ichino said.

"I understand, Knight-Commander but tell me how did they manage to infiltrate so deeply into the Kingdom and with so many of their warriors without us detecting them?" The High Princess of the Silver Millennium inquired.

"I do not know Your Highness but I assure you before this day is out I intend to find out. Second Lieutenant Chryseis…" Ichino turned to address the remaining officer from the Royal Guards who was attached to the Princess's security detail. "…I entrust the safety of the Princess and Lady Rei into the capable hands of your combat team and yourself, you have my full confidence."

"Thank you, Sir! The Royal Guard will not fail!" A young female Lieutenant with auburn hair and sea blue eyes, crisply saluted before moving to help Rei stand.

"Rei, be nice. Chryseis was just trying to help." Serenity scolded the Martian Princess, who scared the 2nd Lieutenant away with a scowl.

"You know who I am your Highness?" Chryseis asked awe stricken.

"Oh, yes. I spoke at your graduation ceremony last month; you and your parents, who by the way are nice people from a small fishing village along the eastern coast of the Sea of Serenity." The Moon Princess said with a heart warming smile.

"Yes, and not to mention the fact, that Ichino just _happened_ to say your name just a few seconds ago," Rei sarcastically remarked. As she placed her henshin pen back into her hyper-dimensional pocket, after failing to transform into Sailor Mars. Hooking her arm into Serenity's, Rei turned to a royal guardsman in Chryseis combat team and said. "You! What your name?"

"Lee, Sir!" The Guardsmen replied

"Ok then Private Lee, you are on point. Let move out! We are squandering time bought by the lives of our fellow soldiers!" Rei said usurping Chryseis' command.

Rei pushed the Royal Guards fast and hard, and they rapidly covered the distance from sector eight to six.

"We made it," Chryseis said as she whipped the sweat from her forehead.

"Don't start filling your dance card for the Mask Ball, Second Lieutenant. The Princess is not safe until she is back in the Palace." Rei gave an intimating glare at the young officer.

"Is she always this… intense?" Chryseis asked of her Princess.

"Rei-chan? Well…yes, certainly about my well-being." Princess Serenity began, before breaking into an inward smile as if she was reminiscing about something. "But do not let her get to you, she really is a pussycat. You just have to know how to handle her."

Chryseis gave her Moon Princess a disbelieving look, as if anyone could call the feisty Goddess of the Celestial Fire, currently inhabiting the body of a raven-haired ten year old girl a pussycat.

Rei suddenly stopped and scanned the landscape with her perceptive lavender eyes…

"What is it Rei-chan?"

"We have company, Princess." Rei said as she split her red dress up to her upper thigh, reviewing a strapped on scabbard with a long Martian hunting-knife. Turning to the 2nd Lieutenant, she ordered. "Lieutenant Chryseis, have three of your best marksmen ready to fire on my mark, and have the rest of your men assume a moonshell formation, Serenity-chan you are with me."

"Where? I do not see anything," Chryseis asked examining the tree line.

Rei non-chalantly walked behind the 2nd lieutenant and said, "Not on the tree line. Look up, on the treetops at ten, twelve, two o'clock. Look like the Sar'tekh left some warriors behind to deal with any survivors."

"Yes… I see them," Chryseis answered.

"Good… wait… the Shaman, he is here too." Rei said.

"Are you sure Rei-chan?" Serenity asked.

"Yes, he must have broken through or bypassed Ichino," Rei answered.

The Royal Guard interlocked their large man-sized shields forming a rudimentary metallic 'moonshell' protecting them from projectile fire from overhead, front, right and left flanks, with the Princess safely in the center of the defenses, at the same time the three marksmen Chryseis picked fired their light crossbows sending three reptilian bodies tumbling out of the trees.

The Sar'tekh came charging out of the woods, yelling and hurling their javelins. The poison tipped projectiles flew accurately, but were unable to find their targets and bounced harmlessly off the lunar moonshell.

"Counter charge! We have to break through to the Moonbridge!" Rei ordered.

Sar'tekh ferocity and poison meet Lunar discipline and steel. The Sar'tekh's fang-blades were unable to find an opening in lunar moonshell; however the same could not be said of the Royal Guard as they struck down their adversaries.

"They're breaking," Chryseis reported.

"Quickly now to the Moonbridge," Rei commanded.

Unfortunately, at that moment the Shaman stepped passed the fleeing masses of his comrades. The reptilian dark priest raised his right hand, chanted and then pointed as a mass of greenish-black mist poured forth out of his fingertip and flowed into the tightly mass of charging royal guardsmen.

While the lunar moonshell formation proved extremely effective against the Sar'tekh warriors it alas was extremely vulnerable to the dark magics of the Shaman.

Rei threw herself on her princess, as the poisonous cloud passed overhead; behind her she could hear the cries of the dieing guardsmen. Looking up Rei made eye contact with Chryseis, who lay sprawled on her back. In the 2nd Lieutenant's fear stricken iris, Rei saw a reflection of the Shaman approaching. With a moan of terror Chryseis began crawling away on her elbows, leaving behind her crossbow at her feet.

"Ugh. Rei, get off me." Princess Serenity protested as she pushed her Senshi away, as she did so. The Martian girl reached forward, grabbed and fired Chryseis's abandon crossbow at the Shaman.

The bolt sail out of the crossbow and flew on a true path toward the Shaman's heart when at the last instant, the Shaman flicked his wrist and sent the bolt implanting itself into the ground near his feet with one strike with his mace.

Rei leaped to her feet and drew her long hunting knife and said, "Usagi-chan, I meet you at the Moonbridge, go now!"

Serenity took one hesitant step away from her Senshi, but refused to leave.

"A Wyrm Huntersss' blade, I did not realized that the Lunar Princesss had retained the ssservicesss of one of your kind, Honored Hunter." The Shaman began, "Few have the courage to hunt the Sssand Dragonsss and fewer ssstill hunt by the old waysss. A ssshame you are quite young or I might have tesssted your ssskillsss… Pity." The Shaman raised his finger, invoked a spell and released a purplish-black bolt of ichor at Serenity.

Rei stepped in front of her Princess intent on buying Serenity's life with her own, yet it proved unnecessary for the Shaman's dark magic was intercepted by a white glow originating from the crescent-moon coat of arms of Sir Ichino's shield.

"My faith is my shield," prayed the battered Lunar Knight.

"Ah, a warrior-priessst of the Moon Goddesss, a worthy opponent indeed, I am M'thosss night-ssshaman of the Demon Goddesss." The Sar'tekh said as he twirled his mace in anticipation of battle.

"Sir Ichino, Paladin of Selene." Replied the Knight-Commander, as he brought his sword and shield into a guard position.

Rei grabbed Serenity's arm and was about to make a dash to the Moonbridge, when M'thos swung his mace and a wave of purplish-black light dashed forth leaching the life-force from Ichino, Rei and Serenity. Ichino and Rei fell back in pain, while the Moon Princess cried out too but as she did so a burst of white moon-light emanated from the moon-crest on her forehead and neglected the wave of dark energy.

M'thos lunged forward and struck Sir Ichino before he could recover, caving in his skull. Rei attacked the Shaman's unarmed right side and thrust her Wyrm Hunters blade into the Sar'tekh's ribs puncturing a lung, M'thos howled in pain and backhanded the Martian girl sending her flying into a tree.

The former sun goddess felt a wetness in the back of her head, as she slide down the trunk of the tree. Faintly she could hear Serenity calling her name… struggling she forced her eyes open. To her horror, she watched the Shaman order two of his underling to drag the struggling Moon Princess away.

"Serenity…" Rei whispered as the darkness took her.

* * *

Author Notes: 

odango atama dumpling head

The fact that Rei was a Wyrm Hunter, and was referred to by the Martian title of Honor Hunter is my tip of the hat to Chris Davies who visions of a Silver Millennium Mars from his stories: **Panorama Interlude Three: All Coming Back To Me** and **Panorama** **Interlude Four: The Dance**, have permanently engraved itself into the fires of my imagination.

In this story, all the Senshi have already lived a previous life as goddess, however they had to sacrifice their existence as divine beings to end the GodsWar between the Titians and the Elder Gods and help create the Silver Millennium.

Serenity thought is still an unawaken goddess, and is the daughter of the Moon Goddess Selene.

Minako in her past life was Aphrodite the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Serenity's cousin and Daughter of Eos the Goddess of the Dawn, sister to Selene and Helios.

Rei in her past life was Re the Sun Goddess (the Goddess of the Celestial Fire) from the Egyptian Pantheon. True in Egyptian Mythology, Re is a God not a Goddess, I will explained later, perhaps in chapter 3 or 4 how this misinterpretation took place due to the actions of Aries.

Sorry for the long combat scene it sort of wrote itself. Chapter Two: Project: A M.E., A Mercurial Experiment… was originally part of Chapter One, but I had to cut it


	2. Chapter 2: Project: A ME, A Mercurial

43

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, which is own by Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha and Toei Animation.

Author Notes: This is a Rei/Jadeite, and Princess Serenity/Prince Endymion AU Silver Millennium story. I looking for a beta reader, this is my first fanfic, and I hope you like it.

The Fire Witch

By trp0522

Chapter Two: Project: A M.E., A Mercurial Experiment

_11:52 P.M. Local Time_

_The Techno-Magical Datastream_

_Tsuki-Yumi, the White City Capital of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium _

_5thDay of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Sailor Mercury's liquid blue form swam from data-terminal to data-terminal combing through the datastream searching for clues about how the Sar'tekh actually managed to breach the defenses of the Silver Millennium, and more importantly where they might have taken the Princess. The Sar'tekh somehow managed to hacked into and disable all primary functions of the Central Lunar Agrodome's main computer, including the anti-teleportation devices, security and fire alarms, cameras and fire suppression system.

Sailor Mercury continued to gather information, images flashed before her minds' eye during her techno-magical dive, it was then she noticed, the bioscanner subroutine located in an obsolete secondary subsystem that the Agrodome used to monitor the fauna and flora lifeforms within the Agrodome, on a hunch she downloaded and copied all actives within a weeks period prior to and on the day of the abduction.

Unfortunately the information located on the bioscanner was slightly degraded, but it should not prove a problem for her Mercury Computer as it began to run a program to compensate and repair the damage done to the data. Sailor Mercury swam to check on the health of the Survivor.

It was during their fourth week, on Europa, when they received news of the attack on the Moon and that Princess Serenity was taken prisoner. Sailor Mercury herself had been leading the medical relief teams treating the victims of the Necro-Plague as it has become known, while Sailor Jupiter was busy hunting down the Necromantic Cultist who unleashed the magical plague, with the assistance of the 3rd Jovian Infantry Legion and the remains of the Europain Police Force and Militia units. An _Ether Wind_ class fast corvette, the S_.M.S. (Silver Millennium Ship) Zephyr_ out of Jupiter's Capital the floating Sky-City Olympus was dispatched to transport them with all haste back to the Moon Palace

The _Zephyr_ with passengers Senshi Mercury and Jupiter made the normally three weeks passage in three days time, but the _Zephyr_ and its human crew and passengers paid the price in stress. The _Zephyr_ was currently undergoing repairs and its' crew was given leave, Sailor Mercury however had been working nonstop for the last seventy-two hours, since arriving back at the White City of Tsuki-Yumi , the Capital of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium.

On arriving back at the Palace Sailor Mercury had discovered that Queen Selene had sequestered herself in a state of mourning since the abduction of her daughter, and since that time, power had been loosely divided into a Triumvirate, between Philolaus the Minister of Defense, Rhett Battler of Mau the Secretary of State and Senshi Venus who had arrived two days earlier.

It was Sailor Mercury who had discovered the fading distortion fields of a stealth ship in a smugglers' jumppoint in orbit around the moon, and since that time Sailor Venus and the Royal Navy had been attempting to track the ship's signature and course. While Sailor Jupiter discretely' made some inquires with the various lunar criminal elements. As Sailor Mercury arrived at her destination she verified the information already collected by Minister Philolaus' Internal Investigational Teams and was forced to accept the logical conclusion of the Investigational Team.

The moment Sailor Mercury's liquid blue icon arrived at her destination to check on the health of the Survivor, she was immediately challenged by a group of Data Sentries.

"**Greetings Sailor Mercury, pleased state the purpose of your visit**," the lead Data Sentry inquired as the others took positions around her.

"**Salutations Data Sentry Unit# DetCen01-27-01/05, I am here to check on the** **Survivors' current medical condition**," Sailor Mercury answered.

"**Verifying**… **Confirmed. Access Granted. Please Proceed, Sailor Mercury**." The Data Sentry responded.

The Survivor had been in an unconscious state since, the attack and remained in a Mercurian healing tank. She had not been able to answer any questions nor had she been able to make a statement. Mercury's emotions were mixed between anger and sadness, with one question floating in her in mind… Why?'

Finished with the medical reports, Sailor Mercury swam towards the surface. Unnoticed by Mercury as her consciousness left the room, momentary the eyes of girl in the healing tank flickered open.

Ami-chan?' The lavender eyed girl thought.

Sailor Mercury's visor retracted back into her fuku as she finished her techno-magical dive into the Palace and City's databases, and as her consciousness returned back into body. Mercury told stock of her surroundings.

The Solder of Water and Knowledge was in the Royal Command Center, located underneath the main hall of the Palace. The room was circular, moon shaped her mind noted. The Command Center was divided into two sections; she was seated in her workstation on the upper crescent moon section. In the lower section is where the everyday functions the Command Center took place, it was manned by rotating crews drawn from all quarters of the Silver Millennium. Though due the current crisis under authority of Defense Minister Philolaus the Martian crews were dismissed, at moment however the crews were composed of her native Mercurians and flesh golems.

The Mercurian techno-magical constructs were so advanced, they were indeterminable from their human counterparts or at least to a non-Mercurian, both humans and flesh golems wore a plain unisex navy blue jumpsuit with a white utility belt and large pockets. Back in the upper sections were the workstations of the other senshi with Jupiter on her left and Mars on her right with Venus's workstation on the far right next to the only entrance to the Command Center. Across from the workstations were a semi-circular conference table and directly in the center of the upper section between the conference table and Mars and her workstation was the Commander's Chair this was usually occupied by the Queen when she chose to attended or by Sailor Venus. The door was constructed out of Eternalium the strongest techno-magical alloy known to date. On duty by the door where a pair of Stone Combat Golems, each was twelve feet tall, grayish-blue in color was a wide in body a man was tall and was armed with a Pulse Lance.

Her Mercury computer informed her that its program had finished running and was ready to be played. Stiffing a yawn, Mercury allowed her head to _momentary_ rest on the table.

Just for a little while…' Sailor Mercury thought, as she drifted off to sleep...

* * *

_11:58 P.M. Local Time _

_Room__DetCen01-27, Under the Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium _

_5thDay of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Rei's eyes momentary flicked open. Her psychic senses detected the fading presence of someone else in the room. Ami-chan?' She thought.

As her eyes come to focus, Rei realized she was in a Mercurian Healing Tank and more so was located in a small stile room filled with techno-magical surveillance equipment, and a familiar electrical hum along with a faint greenish-red glow around the doorway told her where she was. With a mental sigh, Rei realized she was in a Detention Center.

* * *

_Sailor Mercury dream about the first day she had meet Princess Serenity…_

_Laboratory A_

_Kingdom of Mercury_

A small blue haired girl, with crystal blue eyes busily typed into her computer which was connected to the floating chair she was attached to since her conception by Enki, her father-creator.

"Experiment Model #Enoch-0344-26-2005 in the Ezra Galaxy has reached, Alpha Stage. Sentient life forms have begun gathering into settled communities with rudimentary understanding, of Fire, Primitive Tool Making, Crop Growing, Pottery and Burial Ceremonies," the blue hair girl began as the door to the room opened.

Normally, the only person who ever entered the Lab was Enki her father-creator but in this one instance, a young girl about seven years old wearing a white dress, entered on her tiptoes. The girl had silvery hair done in a strange style and cerulean blue eyes.

"Greetings Unit, please state your designation and function," the blue haired girl said as she continue with the Great Experiment.

"Oh, Hiiiiii!" the strange girl-unit voice's squealed, giving a nervous laugh, she placed a hand behind her neck. "I did not see you there, I am Serenity."

"Salutations, girl-unit Serenity. Please state the purpose of your visit to Mercurian Experimental Lab A." The blue haired girl stated, as she entered the data on another Experiment Model.

"WellyouseeIwashavingfunplayingandthenLunadecidedtobemeanandtrytomakemestudyetiquettebutIdidnotwanttosoIranawaysocanIstay?" Serenity said with one breath.

"Fascinating… is the Serenity girl-unit primary function to perform this thing call play?" The blue haired girl inquired.

"I would like to think so," Serenity nodded eagerly.

"And this Luna Unit tried to enter a program contrary to your core function?" The blue haired girl asked.

"YES! I knew you would understand!" Serenity enthusiastically stated, hope blooming in her innocent cerulean eyes.

"Then, you may stay." The other girl said.

"Thank you!" Serenity threw her arms around the girl seating on the floating chair in hug. Unused to such tactile contact, the blue haired girl became flustered and as a result Experiment Model #Orcus1053-27-2005 in the Whaag Galaxy failed to achieve Alpha Stage. The Experiment model was a world co-habited by two sentient lifeforms, the huge, salvage and warlike Orcs and the smaller but cunning Grettchin. Unobserved by the blue haired girl, a tribe of Grettchin that just recently discovered the secret of fire was annihilated by a band of marauding band Orcs.

Ah, can I ask you a question?" Serenity asked rubbing her forefingers together.

"You may proceed." The blue haired girl said, as she activated the Great Experiment's automated feature, which techno-magically tied into the blue haired girl's own subconscious mind to monitor and maintained the Great Experiment.

"Are you a girl or a golem?" Serenity asked.

"I am A M.E.," the blue haired girl stated.

"Nice to meet you Ami," Serenity smiled, though she was still was not sure whether she was addressing a girl or a golem.

"You misunderstand my designation, I am not Ami." The blue haired girl tonelessly corrected. "I am A M.E."

"You are a Me?" The Moon Princess asked now utterly confused.

"That is correct, and since I am operating at 200 percent efficiency; it is a logical deduction that the father-creator would create others of my design to assist in the proliferation of the Great Experiment," M.E. said with an allusion of pride.

"Oh, so you are a golem." Serenity said with a hint of disappointment.

"Actually, I am neither a girl nor golem. I am a Goddess," M.E. said.

"You are a Goddess? REALLY! My mom's Selene the Goddess of the Moon, what is your portfolio?" Serenity excitedly asked.

"Enki the Father-Creator is an Elder God of this world and is God of Water, Intellect, Creation, and Medicine. He created this unit as THE M_ercurian_ E_xperiment_ for the purpose of designing, constructing, running, monitoring and maintaining a far greater experiment he dubbed the Great Experiment." M.E. said with an indication towards the window-like portals that filled the Laboratory's walls from floor to ceiling which extended into an arc dome hundreds feet up and the walls stretched as far as Serenity's eyes could see."

Seeing that Serenity's mouth had formed into an astonished fish-like O, M.E. adopted into a teacher/lecturer mode, floating over to a window and preempted to answer the Ordango haired girl's unspoken question. With a wave of her hand the image on the window changed into a cylinder shaped object.

"This is a monolith," M.E. began. "I build these devices and send them out into the Prime Material Plane to find worlds most likely to produce life. Once the monolith arrives it will begin broadcasting to this laboratory and allow me to help guide the lifeforms that become sentient achieve Alpha Stage.

The image on the window change back into an Artic World, then the picture focused it reveled, a rainbow dotted with multi-colored crystals leading to the center of a snowbound metropolis with giant candy canes on the sides of the roads, and flying reindeer powered sleds.

"This is Experiment Model #StantasWrkShp0920-25-2005 in the Nor Polaris Galaxy; it is a multi-sentient world, with three major races: Human, Elf and Polar Rain Deer. Currently this Experiment Model is at Gamma Stage with the most recent achievement reached as Magical Mass Production," M.E. lectured.

Serenity was practically drooling at the near infinite amount of toys and other gifts being made in the gigantic magical elven assembly lines. To her amazement the screen now showed an office where a jolly old man in a red suit sat behind a large heavy set table on which two festively packaged boxes rested. The jolly old man in the red suit was checking a list twice, but what caught Serenity's attention was the fact THE PRESENTS HAD HER name on them, the first was from her Mama and other was from Luna! Unfortunately before Serenity could find what she got the image changed…

"This is the Experiment Model #StantasWrkShp0920-25-2005 before the initiation of the Great Experiment," M.E. continued. The window showed the three different races each struggling to survive, hunted by ice monsters, staving and cold… "However, with the intervention of the Great Experiment…" M.E. waved. The picture changed showing each of the races developing a trait or knowledge to help them survive.

"Ah, M.E." Serenity interrupted. "Can we go back to the screen with the jolly old man in the red suit? I want to see what Mama and Luna gave me!"

M.E. waved and the window, reveled the jolly old man who was placing a sock with a lump of coal into a box as Luna's present to Serenity.

"That Luna…" Grumbled the Moon Princess.

Meanwhile the jolly old man, turned after checking the List for the second present and was about to place a beautiful doll into the box with Serenity's name from her mother…

"Woo the dolly I wanted…" Serenity cooed.

… When the jolly old man was disturbed by a commotion outside in the production lines, a grandmotherly human led a procession of angry female elves carrying picket signs into the assembly lines.

"What do we want?" The grandmother human address as Mrs. Claus asked.

"EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL PAY!" The angry crowd of female elves shouted.

"NOT ME!" Serenity protested to the window. "I just what my dolly!"

"Interesting…" M.E. noted. "It appears that StantasWrkShp0920-25-2005 is currently undergoing a Wondrous transformation in its societal mainframe, by developing the concept of Suffrage."

"I am suffering too… ALL I getting is a lump of coal!" Serenity whined.

"I am sure you will get your present," M.E. said sympathetically. "After all Santa has a contract to fulfill with your mother."

"You sure?" Serenity asked hopefully.

"Positive." M.E. reassured.

"Well it seems like a nice invention, design to make people happy," Serenity began and in a lower whisper, she muttered… "And I'll be happy when I get the dolly." Before continuing in a normal tone she inquired. "But what is it?"

"I call it Civilization," M.E. said.

"Then you are the Goddess of Civilization?" Serenity reasoned.

"That would be a logical conclusion," M.E. stated.

"Say Me, would you like to play now?" Serenity asked, just as her stomach began rumbling.

"That would be acceptable, I must confess I am most curious about this new function, but first take this nutritional supplement," M.E. said handling Serenity a gray tablet.

Serenity took the tablet and looked at it then back at her newly made friend, who was keenly waiting for her to ingest the pill. Serenity then proceeded to sniff at it and then took a hesitant lick at the tablet and after making a face, she suddenly brightened.

Serenity reached into her hyper-dimensional pocket and took out a bag of candy that her cousin Aphrodite "gave" her.

"What is it?" M.E. asked with curiosity of scientist encountering a new discovery for the first time.

"This is a jelly bean," Serenity said offering M.E. one of her precious pieces of stolen-err _liberated_ Venusian candy.

As M.E. ate the jelly bean and a new experience exploded in her mouth. Only later on would she realize that experience was called taste.

"Come on Me…I am sure we are going to be…great friends…" Serenity said in-between bites. "Let me show you this holovid my cousin Aphrodite made for me, it has a really great song called C'est la Vie…" And the two girls began to perform Serenity's core function' of playing… until two hours later…

"A-ha! I found you Princess!" A small black cat pounced.

"Gaa! Luna, it is not what you think, I was coming to study honest!" Serenity protested at the cat hanging on her back.

"A likely story, Princess! Look at you leading to the truancy of another child on a school day too! Wait until I tell your mother!" The lunar cat scolded, before turning to the blue haired girl. "And what is your name young lady?"

"I am M.E." The Goddess of Civilization said.

"Nice try young lady but I warn you, that if you do not tell me your name you are just going to get into deeper trouble." Luna warned.

"Piss, Me. I think you should just tell Luna that you are Ami, I think it would cause less confusion this way." Serenity whispered.

"I comprehend, the father-creator _did_ construct others of my series, very well then this unit will accept the sub-designation: Ami. Unit Friend Serenity, is this the Luna Unit that was trying to alter your primary function?" The newly redesignated Ami said.

"Ah…Yes," Serenity said nervously.

"Very well Luna Unit, I do not grant you access to this Laboratory, Security please remove the Luna Unit." Ami commanded.

"I do not know who you think you are young lady but- Eep!" Luna said as two walls opened and two heavy armed combat-golems emerged pointing energy weapons at the lunar cat. "On second thought, you don't _really_ have to study right the way." Luna sweatdropped.

"Yay!" Serenity cheered.

* * *

_3:57A.M. Local Time_

_Royal Command Center, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Sailor Mercury groggily woke up when she heard the door to the Command Center open with an electronic whoosh. Venus walked in arguing with Minister Philolaus and Lord-General Minoru Sato the Baron of Anaximenes. Following them in human form was the heavy set Secretary of State Rhett Battler. Minister Philolaus was dress in a dark formal wear, while his aide the Lord-General Sato was clothed in the uniform of the Royal Guards; on his head he wore an opened faced helmet with a heavy neck guard; and a cuirass of moon-iron and copper which was coated over with a brass finish and the White Crescent Moon insignia prominently engraved in silver on the center of his chest. Around his waist hung a leather belt with scabbards for his sword and dagger, a white cloak trimmed with intertwining golden-leaves, hung from his shoulders and flowed down his back, on his feet he wore soft brown leather boots. Like most Lunarians he was fair of skin, and hair with dark blue eyes.

The crew manning the Command Center had changed as well the 4th Company of Silver Millennium Mercurian Security Force was replaced by the Silver Millennium Venusian Commandos.

"Another strange dream…" Mercury mused.

"What was that Mercury-chan?" Sailor Venus inquired.

"Oh, just a silly dream," The Senshi of Water and Knowledge replied before realizing she had open herself up to Minako's teasing.

"Sleep well?" The fact the Solder of Love and Beauty only inquired with a tired smile, made Mercury aware just how exhausted and deeply in leader mode Minako was if she had let an opportunity to tease "shy Ami-chan" about _that kind of dream_ pass her by. Glancing at the clock on the wall Sailor Mercury took in, that she had unintentionally been asleep for four hours!

"I am sorry?" Mercury blinked.

"I said have you found anything?" Sailor Venus sighed before turning to a tall boyishly handsome young second lieutenant with light hair and dress in green trousers and a battle-vest woven out of Venusian Ironleaf fibers over a gold-yellow shirt, polish black boots and on his head was a red beret, the uniform of a Silver Millennium Venusian Commando and requested. "Coffee, black."

"No, not yet but I do have a few leads, I want to check out. Have Makoto return?" Sailor Mercury inquired.

"Jupiter just called in, she should be with us shortly." Venus answered and thanked the young officer who returned with her coffee with a nod of her radiant golden head.

"Lady Venus, I think given the circumstances, as the Minister of Defense I insist that you revoke Sailor Mars's security clearance and formally place her under guard until the time charges can be levied against her." Minister Philolaus began his teal colored eyes brimming with rage.

"No I will not do that," Venus angrily replied.

"Perhaps you should, Minako-chan." Makoto said who entered the room as the Princess the Jupiter instead of Sailor Jupiter. She was sporting a cut to her upper lip and her clothes looked like she just arrived fresh from a fight, she however seemed to be in good spirits.

"See Lady Venus, even your fellow Senshi believes we should take this… precaution." Philolaus beamed with a grateful nod of his head to the Solder of Nature, Protection and Justice. Although Philolaus was a Lunarian, a lock of chocolate colored hair down the middle of his head, which extended into a ponytail reveled that he was a quarter Jovian on his maternal grandmothers' side of the family.

"What makes you think that Jupiter?" Sailor Venus inquired with a dangerous gleam in her eye.

"Perhaps, you should start at the beginning Makoto-chan?" Mercury added trying to defuse the tense situation.

"The findings of Minister Philolaus's Internal Investigational Teams were correct; our systems were sabotage from within by someone with a high security clearance, more so after questioning the staff of the Agrodome, I decided to focus my inquiry into the direction of some of our more colorful citizens within the Zone…" Makoto began with a grin as she made a fist.

As Makoto began her tale, Sailor Venus moved with a slight of hand and lifted a vial of Golden Rush out of her hyper-dimensional pocket, poured it into her coffee, and took a sip. Normally Minako was not the type of person who indulged in Venusian recreational drugs; however the Senshi of Love and Beauty had between her mothers' gala and the current crises had been on her feet for over a week without any sleep. And Golden Rush was the only thing still keeping her going…

Venus's fatigued ridden body and mind felt a surge of energy as the Golden Rush did its' magic, looking up she made eye contact with Mercury who was looking at her in horror.

"M-Minako-chan, w-what are you doing taking the Golden Rush?" Mercury timidly whispered.

"Trust me Ami-chan; I know what I am doing. And it a perfectly legal substance… like coffee." Sailor Venus whispered back.

"Not in the Moon Kingdom it's not," The Solder of Water and Knowledge nervously replied in a quite voice. "This is no time to be taking Venusian recreational stimulants, and please tell me it is not the Martian Combat-Drug variant…"

"I will do whatever I deem necessary to rescue Serenity," Venus snipped before added in a softer voice. "Would you, Ami-chan do any less?"

"I am just concerned Minako-chan, that is all." Sailor Mercury shyly confessed "Studies have shown that Golden Rush…"

"I know what those studies show," the Leader of the Inner Senshi said, placing a hand on Mercury's shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. Sapphire blue meet crystal blue and Venus took on a golden aura of warmth and friendship that only Mercury could see and feel. "I read the same reports too. Trust in your leader, Ami-chan. Trust me, trust your friend."

Mercury's girl-genius mind coldly reminded her that the blonde was taking Venusian recreational drugs and after a quick calculation came to the conclusion that there was a high probability that Minako was already an addict, and an addict would say or do anything for the next fix, but Ami's Inner Senshi's soft heart wanted to believe in her leader and friend. Ami wanted to believe that everything would work out in the end and together they would find and defeat the "bad guys" and rescue Serenity. Within her Mercury's mind waged war against her heart.

Had Sailor Mercury been an Outer Senshi, it would have been no contest, her mind would have won, pure and simple but Ami was an Inner and she wanted to believe…

Full of apprehensiveness, Ami nodded to Minako's piercing sapphire eyes and was reward with a gleaming smile from the blonde. Whilst Venus's Golden aura of warmth and sisterly love filled the room, but for some reason only Mercury seemed aware of it.

"I knew I could count on you Amees," Venus beamed. An instant later, her expression suddenly became solemn, and the golden aura vanished as quickly as it came. She added before taking another drink. "Speak of this to no one."

Uneasily Sailor Mercury returned her attention back to Makoto…

"…And what happened then, Lady Jupiter?" Lord Sato inquired.

"Well after some more _subtle persuasion,_ Don Ioannes Kamateros informed me that a group of Sar'tekh _pilgrims_ had arrived two weeks ago on the _S.M.M. (Silver Millennium Merchantmen) Horus Djer_, though officially a _Solar Barge_ class light freighter out of Pallas IV was in truth a smugglers vessel." Makoto continued unaware of the conversion between Mercury and Venus.

"And then the Sar'tekh sneaked into the Central Lunar Agrodome after the security systems were disabled and they physically damaged the secondary units on the anti-teleportation devices opening the way for their companions on the stealthship to teleport in." Philolaus speculated.

"Wait a minute, isn't Pallas IV owned by the Ragnor Mining Clan?" Rhett Battler inquired speaking for the first time. Rhett was wearing a hand tailored white ruffled silk shirt with laced cuffs, pitch black pants and imported red-leather hellhound shoes from the Black Moon: Nemesis.

"Exactly another tie to Mars! Everyone knows that Clan Ragnor trades exclusively with Mars," Makoto said fuming.

"That does not prove anything, Jupiter. Expect there is a tie to the _Planet_ Mars and not Rei," Sailor Venus objected.

"I have to agree with Venus, it is all circumstantial evidence at this point Makoto-chan." Mercury shyly added.

"While the evidence of Senshi Mars' treason is inconclusive, nevertheless you can not disagree that Senshi Mars is guilty of neglect. As Senshi, Sailor Mars was in overall command and when she saw that the Princess' Security Force was at half strength she should have immediately requested additional personal." Lord-General Sato stated.

Glancing down Mercury argued her gentle heart trying to believe in and defend her friend, Rei. "I-I can not refute that statement… however I-I sure that Mars has a good reason."

However in another part of her, in Ami's coldly calculating girl-genius mind, she raged with an artic snowstorm's fury knowing that there was NEVER a good reason why HER PRINCESS was left exposed to danger.

"General we are wasting time discussing this," Sailor Venus snapped. "Our first priority should be Princess Serenity's recovery, not assigning blame and I do not intend to condemn one of our own without hearing her side of the story."

"Perhaps, Princess Makoto it is time to show everyone the holovid you recovered in Europa?" The Defense Minister said.

"Jupiter?" The other two senshi asked.

"Sorry Minna, for not mentioning it earlier." Makoto sheepishly confessed, but given the holo-recording on this crystal I wanted to independently verified its' authenticity?"

"What is it Makoto-chan?" Mercury curiously asked.

Venus however glared, still slightly unset that Sailor Jupiter chose to bring the holovid to Minister Philolaus attention before her. "And where did you get it?"

"I discovered this holovid in the Inner sanctum of the High Necromancer in Europa. Have you heard of a Martian Goddess known as Bellona?" The Princess of Jupiter asked.

"Only that she was one of the most ruthless and feared Martian Warlords who fought in last GodsWar, in which the newly founded Silver Millennium Alliance fought a war of survival against the Terrian-Martian League." Sailor Mercury answered.

"But what have this to do with Rei? The War Goddess Bellona disappeared and is widely believed destroyed shortly after the Minos Campaign, while Rei/Sailor Mars was in her pastlife Re the Goddess of the Celestial Fire, a Goddess of the Martian Old Kingdom not one of Ares' New Dynasty, Immortal Court Deities." Minako objected.

"The Minos Campaign, surely you jest Lady Venus? The Minos Massacre was more like it!" Philolaus exclaimed. "Haven't you study history at all! Do you have any ideal what kind of barbarism and untold horrors that witch unleashed on the helpless Jovian miners and colonist in the asteroid belt?"

"Minister Philolaus, what Senshi Venus studied at school is not the issue here…this is," Makoto said, defending her friend and inserted the data crystal into a holoplayer. On a wall behind the workstations a screen opened the holovid began to play…

Despite their differences on _this_ subject Minako was one of Makoto's dearest friends, and she considered the Venusian Princess to be a sister of her heart, they all were…even Rei and perhaps that is why Makoto took _Rei's betrayal_ so personally. After all Makoto was the Senshi of Justice, and she woke up one day to find out one of her dearest friends was a legendary war criminal from the distant past, a person so reviled by her people that naughty children were told that if they didn't behave then Bellona was going to get them…

* * *

_12:00 P.M_. _Ships' Time_

_Imperial Martian Warbarge Phoenix_

_The Asteroid Belt_

_3rd Day of the Month of Oranos, 8th Year of the GodsWar between the Silver Millennium Alliance and the Terrian–Martian League _

The holovid opened, reveling a pair of Martian soldiers in antique full-bodied red and black powered armor filled with lost-tech; they dragged in and dropped a tall raggedy, bruised and battered man who at first glance seamed a broken wrench. However, when he looked up they could clearly see the defiant gleam in his forest green eyes.

Despite that his uniform were in rags, Sailor Mercury instantly recognized the burgundy haired man as a commander in the mythical Jovian Star Phalanx, and Ami deduced that the commander in question was Rhadamanthus, the senior officer of the heroic but ultimately doomed Jovian defense of Knossos Station.

Commander Rhadamanthus was in a large chamber, dimly lit by a pair of urns each containing a flickering flame. Twin ebony columns entwined with gold depicting the symbols of Aries the God of War, ran down the sides of the chamber.

"Show yourself," the shackled Commander Rhadamanthus demanded as he try to stand, but was roughly shoveled back down to his kneels.

Four figures came out of the shadows: a male Martian Major appeared on Rhadmanthus' right flank, a man clothed in the robes of priest of Anubis on his left, and in front of Rhadamanthus a pair of identical twins dressed as priestess of Bellona descended down a flight of stairs and took up positions on each side of an empty throne.

"Bellona where are you? Face me! You lying, murderous bitch!" Rhadamanthus demanded. "We were promised to be treated fairly if we surrendered."

The priestess to Rhadamanthus' left moved and struck the Commander, sending him sprawling. "You will speak the Goddess name with respect Jovian," the priestess said and was about to hit him again when she was halted with a word.

"Phobos, stop! That is no way to treat our guess," a sultry voice came out of the shadows. Mercury watch as Rei sensually emerged from behind the throne or Mercury corrected herself, a Rei as Ami would image how she would look if she was in her early twenties.

"You asked to see me, Commander. Here I am." Bellona/Rei eloquently said, as she sat down on the throne.

"I only wanted to see what a monster truly looked like," Rhadamanthus retorted.

"If I am monster," Bellona/Rei gracefully leaned forward with a predatory glare. "Then I am only what you and your kind has made me into, you invade us, subjugate us, hunt us and kill us since time memorial. You turn my once green fertile world into a barren wasteland after striping Mars of its' natural resources, and turning our holy sites into dumping grounds for your industrial wastes and now when the tables are turned you call us monsters."

"You are truly mad…" The Commander protested in horror. "The Silver Millennium Alliance would never do anything like that…"

"I am not talking about the Alliance; I am talking about the Kingdom of Jupiter." Bellona/Rei snapped before calming herself. Turning to the Martian officer, she elegantly inquired. "Major, is Intelligence finished with our friend the Commander?"

"We are Bellona-hime," the Major kneeled.

"Very well then, Commander as per the terms of your surrender, the citizens of Knossos Station, your men and yourself, shall soon return back to Jupiter." Bellona/Rei articulately began. "However by your very own laws, the women and children of this station are not citizens, but are the property of their husband and fathers. Thus we, claim them as the spoils of war."

"What!" Commander Rhadamanthus shouted. "You can't do that!"

"Oh?" Bellona/Rei mockingly questioned raising a classy eyebrow. "I already have Commander. As we speak, the Slavebarges are taking your family and the other women and children of this facility back to Mars."

"You will pay for this, Bellona! This I swear to almighty ZEUS!" Rhadamanthus swore.

"Perhaps one day Rhadamanthus, but not by your hand." Bellona/Rei parted her voluptuous cherry-red lips and smiled evilly, turning to the male priest she said. "You were right Khaba, the Commander and his men are full of resolve and aggression and will indeed make excellent Spirit Avengers. Prepare the necromantic rituals... mummify them."

After that, Khaba directed the solders to drag the screaming commander away and the Major quietly departed the chamber as well.

"Mistress," Deimos began. "'Tia is here to see you."

"Send her in." Bellona/Rei commanded with a wave of her hand, her glossy red nails reflecting the flickering light of the flames.

Deimos left and a moment later returned with a female Sar'tekh.

"Sssun Goddesss a thousssand blesssingsss upon you," Tia greeted.

"And may Seth smile upon you, Tia." Bellona/Rei returned the sar'tekh's greetings with a nod, her raven colored hair contrasting with the alabaster hue of her skin, and asked. "Are your saboteurs in position?"

"They are in Keftiu Ssstation asss well asss in the Jovian Sssky-City of Larisssa but not in Sssky-City of Olympusss, the Lightning God of the Joviansss he watchsss thingsss closssely there." The Sar'tekh reported.

"Then we will proceed with plans in Keftiu and Larissa one week before schedule, and redeploy to the secondary objective in the Sky-City of Mycenae." Bellona/Rei regally ordered.

"It will be asss you sssay Sssun Goddesss," Tia answered.

After, the Sar'tekh departed. Phobos turned to her Goddess and said, "A week before schedule? Is that wise Mistress?"

"Wise," Bellona/Rei portentously replied. "Perhaps not Phobos, but necessary. A Silver Millennium Alliance relief force under the command of the Moon Princess will jumpout of the Gemstone pathway near Io, during the next stage of our operations if things continued as planed and they will catch us in vise between them. Therefore I chose to move up the timetable, and meet and defeat our enemies piecemeal."

"Are you sure Mistress? Our spies have not reported any fleet movements from the Inner Worlds as they are currently preoccupied with Earth." Deimos inquired.

"I have seen it in my visions Deimos, it WILL come to pass." Bellona/Rei ominously prophesied as the data crystal ended, focusing on her exotic lavender eyes. Sailor Mercury was startled when she realized those eyes lacked the warm, the Rei she knew always had. Instead they were cold and ruthless... they were the eyes of an enemy.

* * *

_4:11A.M. Local Time_

_Royal Command Center, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

The room was stunned into silence when the holovid ended; Mercury's mind coldly processed the data, as her heart ached unable to accept that Rei would act in such a callously evil manner and actually plot against Serenity. Mercury felt her legs become weak and try to sit down, but missed her chair and fell.

Makoto felt the temperature in the Command Center drop and the air took on an artic chill, vipers rose from her breathing. She watched Venus rushed to Ami's side as the Mercurian Senshi broke into tears over what they just saw. Once more Makoto felt her rage begin to build. Rei did this... she made Ami cry…

Rhett Batter, who stood closest to Makoto at this point took a few nervous steps away as he felt the hairs on the back of his head rise and his Mau heighten sense of smell detected the sharp trace ozone coming from the Senshi of Nature, Protection and Justice

"How could she!" Mercury sobbed. "How can anyone act like that and still call herself a Senshi!"

"Do you believe me now, Senshi Venus?" Minister Philolaus said. "I am sorry but it is clear Sailor Mars is a traitor, the holovid shows that without a doubt she was in league with both the Necromancers and the Sar'tekh."

"Is that what you believe I am?" Rei wearily asked, leaning against the door frame.

"How long Rei?" Makoto growled barely keeping her anger in check. "How long have you been working against us? It was your plan from the beginning to use stage an outbreak of the Necro-plague with your necromantic friends on Europa to lure Ami and me away from Serenity? Wasn't it? WASN'T IT?"

Makoto, losing control of her temper, launch herself against a target she could actually hurt. A thunder clap boomed as Makoto's fist impacted against the raven haired girl at full strength, forgetting the fact she was wearing the Girdle of Hippolyta, a Jovian artifact which enhanced her untransformed strength to that of Senshi level.

Had Rei been fully recovered from her previous injuries or perhaps had earlier transformed into Sailor Mars, she might had the speed to dodge Makoto's attack as it was she barely had time to block the blow, which if it had connected would have literately torn off her head. Rei gave a cry of pain as the bones on her forearm shattered, the momentum of the blow knocking her back; falling down her temple connected against the white marble floor.

Rei shook her groggy head trying to clear it, as she felt someone roughly grab her dress, shook her like a rag doll and hear Makoto shout. "Tell me, where she is or by Zeus so help me…"

That is enough!" The Leader of the Inner Senshi ordered.

"You seriously can be taking her side Venus? Not after seeing the holovid!" Makoto exclaimed, not yet realizing that the room temperature had returned to normal.

"Makoto-chan, Minako-chan is not taking sides but beating Rei senseless will not help us find Serenity-chan. Minister Philolaus, is correct in the fact that Mars is guilty of neglect, and she will answer for it." Sailor Mercury said.

Upon hearing Mercury's judgment, Rei gave an astonished gasp. The lavender eyed girl began "Surely you can not think-".

"That is ENOUGH!" Sailor Venus repeated. "Mars, I'll deal with you latter." Seeing that Rei was holding her left arm limply and that the Senshi of Fire and Passion was bleeding from a cut on her right temple Minako turned to address the Venusian Commando who assisted Rei in standing, Venus said. "Lieutenant, escort the Princess of Mars to the infirmary."

Unnoticed by everyone expect Rhett Battler and perhaps the second lieutenant, a flash of pain briefly flared in Rei's lavender eyes before being hidden away in a cold emotionless inner wall and an outer wall of pure rage. Tossing her raven hair, Rei turn and angrily marched out with the Commando trailing behind as honor guard instead of an escort. Behind her the fragrance burnt incense lingered in the air.

"We will adjourn, for six hours for some must, needed rest. That will be all, minna." Sailor Venus stated before turning to Jupiter. "Makoto, please help Ami-chan back to her quarters."

"Sure thing Venus, I think I'll turn in too. Good night Minako-chan." Makoto said.

"Good night Makoto-chan," Minako said before turning to go over the reports left to her by the Royal Navy.

After the Senshi of Jupiter and Mercury had left the Command Center, Minister Philolaus said. "Princess Minako, you must cancel that witch's security clearance, as Bellona has clearly demonstrated that with her clearance intact we can not hold Mars in a Detention Center or anywhere else for that matter."

"Are you still here gentlemen? That will be all; I will see you in six hours." Venus said dismissing them.

Unnoticed by anyone, back on Sailor Mercury's workstation, Ami's Mercury computer flashed **READY** the program standing by for the order to begin playing the recordings she downloaded from the bioscanner…

"How dare that Venusian brat dismiss _us_ like _WE_ were her retainers?" Minister Philolaus fumed, as he entered an empty hallway. Like most of the Palace the passage was constructed out of white marble, the floor was covered with rich scarlet rug and on the both sides of passageway elaborate masterpieces of art hung, yet it was one piece that caught his eye. At the end corridor hung painting by the Lunar artist Yumenmi Yumeno, Entitled the Princess at The Pillars of Cosmos, the painting depicted Princess Serenity who stood on a towering stone pillar surrounded by eight goddess all in what appear to be in their early twenties; four in an inner circle and three in an outer circle. Within each circle there were four stone pedestals, with the pedestals of the outer circle lower than the inner ones. Outside of the Pillars of Cosmos, the fires of the Galactic Caldron flowed forming into the new stars. Energy appeared to be pouring out of the eight goddess especially from the inner four into the Moon Princess, who look as if she was funneling that energy... forming it into what looked liked a silver crystal.

"I would be very careful going against Princess Minako; she is the Queen's niece and a darling of the people… " Rhett Battler warned, laughing the Mau continued "…and not just here on the White Moon but across the Silver Millennium. Unless the Fates themselves directly intervene and by some miracle her popularity was shaken by say... a scandal or some other nonsense. By the Gods man, the people will tear you apart if you go after her. Now if you excuse me gentlemen, I am off to rescue my Lady Luna away from that tedious breakfast engagement that rogue Artemis has imposed upon her."

"He is right you know it will take a miracle for us to win against Lady Venus." Minoru Sato admitted as they exited the Palace and entered the inner court yard.

"That is it!" Minister Philolaus exclaimed. "General Sato, go and find or create something… juicy on the Princess of Venus, if it takes a scandal to turn the people against her then a scandal we shall have!"

"Very well, Lord Minister and I believe I know just the thing, rumor has it Senshi Venus was seen on friendly terms with a Venusian expatriate name Daichi Suzuki during the Queens' Birthday ball. I know the perfect public herald to make the story sound scandalous to populace. But my dear Defense Minister, what will you be doing?"

"Me?" Philolaus asked. "Why I intend to create a hero and a villain, what was the name of that young Lieutenant that was found near the Moonbridge...? No valiantly fought her way to the Moonbridge all the while safeguarding the Princess Serenity only to be finally overcome by Sar'tekh numbers and Sailor Mars' cowardliness and treachery."

"Second Lieutenant Chryseis, a local girl from this region. Killed the first time out…" Baron Anaximenes added scornfully. "But what do you expect from peasant stock?"

"Poor peasant stock? Local lunar girl made good? Perfect the public heralds will love it and the masses will eat it up!" The Minister of Defense exclaimed and holding up a data crystal. "This, my friend is a recording of a transmission of the holovid that Sailor Jupiter asked me to independently verify. And once the public sees this recording, in addition to our _'new final reports'_, they will howl for Sailor Mars' blood and not even Sailor Venus can protect her then."

"What if Senshi Mars flees before we can arrest her?" Lord-General Sato inquired.

"That would be the ideal scenario, you see _'a special report'_ has already been leaked to the Martian public heralds, a report so insulting to Martian honor and combined with the negative holo-reports being generated here in the Moon Kingdom by the public heralds on our payroll, the public outcry on Mars will be so great Regent Ares will have no choice but to tip his hand and declare war, but it will be a war fought on our terms." Minister Philolaus said.

"Are you positive about this, Defensive Minister? After all with the Princess, abducted, we are greatly weakened as well." The Commander of the Royal Brigade of Guards warned.

"Absolutely, Philolaus confidently proclaimed "Certainly you do not think that our Goddess-Queen would allow the construction of an ultimate weapon that only one person can use?"

* * *

_5:51 A.M. Local Time_

_The Offices of the Lunar Inquirer, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Luna is never going to speak to me again,' Artemis thought as the white lunar cat slipped into the offices of the Lunar Inquirer, a holovid publication that specialized in the scandals of the noble elites of the Silver Millennium. All that work getting Luna to take a break from her vigil over the Queen and to simply enjoy a relaxing breakfast with me down the drain,' Artemis sighed. But it can't be helped… this is for Minako.'

"Tell me Thestor, what kind of man profits from destroying the reputation of a sweet innocent ten year girl?" Artemis growled as he spied his prey for night.

"W-who's there?" Thestor the Herald nervous inquired, he was a middle-aged man with bleach white hair that was cut in a spiky-circular shaped moon-disk, a fashion that Clytemnestra, his hairstylist and fourth wife claims is going to be the next big craze that going to swept the holovid industry.

"Some one who objects to what you are doing, tell me who told you these lies?" Artemis said as he shapeshifted into the Bastet werecat fighting form the Mau species were capable of doing.

"S-Sir Artemis, I should have known you would come to suppress THE TRUTH," Thestor began. "W-well you don't s-scare me you hear? The Queen will hear of this and she will strip you of your post as royal adviser for breaking her edict of non-interference with the public heralds."

"Oh, if that is the case... perhaps you should fear me," Artemis roar the fur on his back standing up as his claws extended. "Now tell me, who told you these lies."

"Y-you're bluffing," Thestor stuttered with beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. "As an advisor to the Queen you have bonded yourself to her code of ethics, and you will break it if you harm me."

"Then perhaps you should think about the harm you will cause to the people and the possible lost of lives. If you release this story, there would be riots in the streets especially on Venus and here on the White Moon itself. Can you live with yourself knowing you caused it?" Artemis reasoned, trying to appeal to his sense of decency.

"Yes! If that is the price that must be paid so that the truth can flow freely," Thestor said.

"Then perhaps you may want to reflect on, the fact _you_ will be the first one to pay that price when the truth as you put it flows." A new voice said emerging from the shadows; Artemis noted that the young man seemed oddly familiar. He was a tall and boyishly handsome with light hair and steel blue eyes, clothed in a black form fitting combat stealthsuit, and then Artemis made the connection. Artemis recognized the young man as the Second Lieutenant who served in the Silver Millennium Venusian Commandos.

"And just who are you?" Thestor demanded.

"Lets' just say I am a friend, Thestor. Consider this; if you choose to proceed with this story then... shall we say some 'concern parties' will retaliate by informing the authorities about some of _your_ indiscretions with a pair of minors." The Venusian Commando said tossing him a hologram of him and a pair of naked fourteen year old school girls on a yacht.

Thestor paled as he picking up the hologram, before composing himself as said. "This is nothing; twelve is the legal age of consent on Venus."

"Perhaps, but I suggest you take a closer look these holograms they weren't taken on Venus, but here in the Moon Kingdom on the Sea of Crisium. Surely you recognize the resort city of Cleomedes? As it is clearly in the background." the Second Lieutenant said.

"But I never-" Thestor began.

"Oh? Well they say a hologram is worth a thousand words, and perhaps you might persuade a jury of your innocence, but tell me who do you think they will believe a sleazily scandal-herald like yourself or their own eyes?" The Venusian Commando persuaded.

"Point taken _friend_, I think you are correct. This story is _obviously_ a fabrication of Princess Minako's political enemies. I WILL drop the story and take a religious pilgrimage to… to Pluto!" Thestor declared.

"Wisely said _friend_, perhaps you should start packing." The Venusian advised.

"YES! Yes, you're right! I must be off!" Thestor said running off.

"What! You are just letting him go? We can't let him get away with abusing those girls like that; you should present your evidence to the Watch." Artemis declared as he shapeshifted back into a lunar cat.

"Sir Artemis, you should know the holograms are a forgery, I never had any evidence on Thestor." The Second Lieutenant confessed.

"The holograms were faked? You don't fight fair Lieutenant." Artemis laughed flabbergasted

"When it comes to Princess Minako's safety, I can not afford to." The Commando said as he back into the shadows.

"Wait, where are you going?" Artemis inquired.

"To deal with the source," Venusian's voice echoed across the empty room.

"The Source? Then take me along with you," Artemis said.

"No. You have done enough Good Advisor, but tell me why were you willing to risk defying Queen Selene's edict concerning government interference with the public heralds?" The light haired Commando questioned as Artemis enhanced lunar cat night vision caught of glimpse of his figure.

"Because, it is the right thing to do… after all I am her mentor." Artemis said.

"Is that all?" The Venusian inquired.

"No, Minako is… special," Artemis confessed.

"You are correct, Sir Artemis the Princess Minako is indeed… special but I must remind you that if you delay any longer the Lady Luna will never forgive you for standing her up on your first date." The young officer whispered, as he seemed to become one with the shadows, until Artemis even with his enhanced lunar cat night vision lost sight of him.

Sensing that magic was somehow involved in the light haired man's disappearance, Artemis thought. So the rumors about the Venusian Commandos are true.' Suddenly what the young man just said permeated into the lunar cat's brain… "LUNA! Oh NO! She is going to KILL me!" Artemis shouted running towards the window.

"Good luck noble Sir Artemis, we Venusians will remember your loyalty to our Princess…" The voice of the 2nd Lieutenant drifted out from the shadows.

Turning Artemis called after him and inquired. "Wait Lieutenant, what is your name?"

But he was already gone.

"Oh well, I have the feeling I will be seeing a lot more of that young man… Luna _really_ going to kill me! At least that pompous poplin jay Rhett Battler doesn't know about our date," Artemis declared. As he ran off into the early morning street.

* * *

_10:00 A.M Local Time_

_Royal Command Center, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

A much rested Sailor Mercury, looked up from her workstation in Command Center as Knight-Commander Jung Kim of the Royal Order of the Lunar Knights and Kotono Mitsuichi the High Priestess of Selene, entered joining the Defense Minister Philolaus who sat at one end of the semi-circle conference table, after them sat the Secretary of State Rhett Battler who seated in the center in human form and was currently exchanging glares with a human formed Sir Artemis that sat next to Sailor Venus who was seated on the opposing end the of table. Sailor Jupiter left her work station and was seated in between Rhett Battler and Sir Artemis.

"Good everyone is finally here…" Minister Philolaus aggregately announced, which earn him a look of annoyance from Sir Jung Kim and a look of pity from the High Priestess. Mercury however noted the change in personal, not everyone was there present from the last meeting. Lord-General Sato the Commander of the Royal Brigade of Guards was absent and so were the Silver Millennium Venusian Commandos, in their place temple acolytes served as the staff officers.

"…and fully rested, perhaps now Sailor Venus, you will finally heed reason and revoke that traitor's security clearance." Philolaus continued.

"As I stated numerous times, Defense Minister, our first priority should be the recovery of Princess Serenity. I will not revoke Senshi Mars' security clearance nor will I place her under guard," Venus answered as an acolyte refilled her cup of coffee.

"I concur, with Sailor Venus. The retrieval of The Daughter is paramount; I can see no higher calling." The High Priestess announced.

"I have had enough. Venus, you are letting your friendship with Bellona interfere with your judgment, and it is placing all of us at risk… Or perhaps Princess Minako there is something _more_ affecting your judgment?" The Defense Minister stated.

"What do you mean by that?" Minako coolly asked as she took a drink of the coffee her eyes however never left the Ministers'.

Artemis' reaction however was somewhat different.

"You!" He hissed, leaping to his feet with his hand on the hilt of his Venusian Saber. "I should have known you were the one spreading those filthy lies about Minako! Well Philolaus, I challenge you to back those false allegations up with steel." Artemis said issuing a duel against the Minister.

"Artemis! No!" Sailor Venus said placing her hand on Artemis'.

"Well played Princess Minako," The Defense Minister began. "Very well Sir Artemis, I accept _your_ challenge. Have your second contact General Idomeneus the Royal Quartermaster who will act as my second."

Senshi Venus turned to Artemis and asked. "Artemis, you silly old tom-cat… Why did you challenge him?"

"I couldn't just sit back and let him keep telling lies about you, Minako-chan." Artemis said.

"Artemis-baka," Minako warmly said hugging him.

The Minister Philolaus turned to Venus and declared. "As for you Venus, you know exactly what I mean. And after I destroy your champion, I intend to petition the Queen to have you removed as Leader of Inner Senshi and replace you with Sailor Jupiter; you are clearly not fit to lead." Philolaus said.

"WHAT!" Makoto exclaimed looking at Venus in horror. "Minako-chan, I never…"

"I understand Makoto-chan," The Solder of Love and Beauty smiled, first at the brunette and then at Artemis before adding. "Everything is fine."

"Ah-hem" Paladin Kim cleared his throat. "Perhaps some… clarification is in order. Is it true that Princess Rei is indeed the War Goddess Bellona? I have always believed that Sailor Mars was Re the Goddess of the Celestial Fire." Paladin Kim inquired referring to the transmission of holovid that was sweeping like wildfire across the public herald stations of the White Moon.

"It is true, I had the data crystal verified, and it is authentic. Sailor Mars is Bellona. Defense Minister Philolaus, Lord-General Sato, Sailor Mercury and I believe that Rei has betrayed the Princess." Princess Makoto answered.

"Makoto-chan, I have some new data that we may want to consider," Sailor Mercury said. As all eyes turned to her, Mercury added as she press play and screen open on the wall behind her. "It is video only," she continued. "But here is a visual recording of the Battle of the Central Lunar Agrodome."

After viewing the holographic footage Venus stated. "As the recording that Sailor Mercury recovered from the bioscanner clearly show that Senshi Mars fought for our Princess and was repeatedly wounded doing so. She is no traitor."

"It changes nothing, Sailor Venus. Mars is still guilty of neglect, still a war criminal so reveled in Jupiter that mothers tell children who misbehave that Bellona is coming to get them and this so-called new found evidence can easily be planted for Mercury to find. In fact, I demand that you have this recording independently verified that it has not been tamper with." Minister Philolaus insisted.

Before anyone else could reply, the door to the Command Center opened and a petite woman with ivory skin, and curry ebony hair entered. She was the Lady Luna in human form. Noting how the Princess of Venus was proudly clinging on Sir Artemis, Luna's dimples twitched jealously. Luna presented Sir Artemis with a scowl, while rewarding Rhett Battler with warm smile.

Afterwards, Lady Luna regally announced, "Senshi, Ministers and Officers of State and Spirit. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Selene requires your presence."

* * *

_1:00 P.M. Local Time_

_The Royal Throne Room, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Queen Selene entered the throne room in a Silver-white gown that sparked with diamonds, she moved with an elegant grace that it seemed that she floated not walked across the white marble floor.

Surrounded by an Honor Guard a hundred Royal Guards and Lunar Knights, the most powerful men and women of the Silver Millennium knelt silently waiting for her command. But Selene's attention was only on three kneeling girls, and she greeted them a smile.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to report-" the blonde in the middle, began but was interrupted as the Queen brought the girls into a group hug.

"No niece. It is I who should say sorry, will you forgive me Aphrodite?" Selene asked, shocking the court.

"W-what for Aunt Selene?" An astonish Princess Minako inquired.

"For asking all of you to grow up too fast and to take on responsibilities that an adult would flinch to accept," Selene answered. Turning to Ami, Makoto and finally back to Minako, she address each of them in turn. "For sending you Ami, to tend the victims of a plague that many healers thrice your age was hesitant to face. For sending you, Lyta with only the assistance of local law enforcement and a few solders from your homeworld to hunt down a band of terrorists intent on murdering a world. And Aphrodite, for laying on your shoulders the burden of government. For asking Rei to fight and shed her blood and for Serenity to be other that what she truly was. So tell me my daughters, for you are all the daughters of heart as much as Serenity is. Will you forgive me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Certainly, my Queen. Of course, Your Highness." The Senshi answered in unison.

"Thank you girls, you do not know how much that means to me, tell me where is Rei?" Selene asked.

"I sent her back to the infirmary," Princess Minako answered.

Upon hearing that, the Moon Goddess developed an anguished look and said. "Kotono, please personally send Sailor Mars my blessings so that her wounds will mend and be in good health again."

"At once, my Goddess." The High Priestess answered, turned and departed.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to interrupt." Minister Philolaus began. "But you should know that Senshi Mars has betrayed us."

"Those are serious allegations Defense Minister; in what way has Princess Rei betrayed us." The Moon Goddess asked frowning.

"A data crystal has surfaced proving that the Princess Rei is in fact the Martian war criminal Bellona, and that Sailor Mars is guilty of neglect when she discovered that Princess Serenity's security detail was at half strength and yet she did nothing. Since she was probably the individual who issued the orders-" The Defense Minister began.

"That has not been confirmed Philolaus and you know that," Venus interrupted.

"I am disappointed in you Defense Minister; you have accused Senshi Mars of treason without gathering all the facts." Queen Selene said.

"I don't understand, Your Majesty. The holovid was verified; the Princess Rei is the monster that allied herself with the Sar'tekh and unloosed the Anubis Priesthood on Jupiter, the same Priesthood which evolved into the necromantic cults which later spread onwards to Saturn and has become a blight upon us all." The Defense Minister protested.

"Philolaus, did you think I did not know who Rei was in her pastlife? Bellona was the ideal daughter of Ares that Re the Goddess of the Celestial Fire never was. And the War Goddess only came to being only as the result of Re's mind being infected and altered by Ares' Blood Curse," Selene said.

"How did you free Re from the Blood Curse, Your Majesty?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"I did not; Re broke free with Serenity's aide." Queen Selene answered.

"What about the charge of neglect?" Ami heard Makoto asked halfheartedly, looking as guilty as Ami felt. The Princess of Mercury thought, she should have known there was a reason why Bellona/Rei acted as she did, and Ami thought with a heavy heart that she should have believed in her friend. She should have believed…

"It was I who was guilty of neglect. Rei came to me saying that she had a vision of a dark cloud passing over Serenity. She pleaded with me to triple the security force and to call the three of you home, but I disregarded Sailor Mars' warning of danger. Instead at Serenity's request, I reduced the security force by half. My daughter, did not feel comfortable with the guards watching her, she just wanted to be a normal for just one day." Selene confessed.

Ami watched as Makoto clichéd her fist in shame, and anger as she said. "Then, we-I have wronged her."

"We have all wronged her," Mercury added. "All except you Minako, you never gave up on her." Ami told the shining blonde who held her head bowed with golden tears of relief, joy and even perhaps vindication.

"Your Majesty," the High Priestess began as she returned the throne room, her face grave.

"What is it Kotono? Have Princess Rei's condition worsen?" Queen Selene inquired full of concern.

"It is not that Your Majesty, when I arrived at the Infirmary, the Healer said that Sailor Mars insisted that she be allowed to recuperate in her own quarters. Seeing no harm in it the Healer complied. When I arrived at Senshi Mars' quarters to give her your blessings, I found it empty except for these three things." The High Priestess of the Moon Goddess said, presenting Queen Selene; Sailor Mars' communicator, henshin pen and data crystal.

The Queen frowned as she watched the holovid image of the Princess of Mars. Queen Selene noted that Rei's left arm was now in a sling and that her right temple was bandaged, the girl's lavender eyes were heavy with shadow and she looked weary and tired.

"Minna," the raven haired girl began. "Queen Selene, Minako-chan, Ami-chan and Makoto-chan by the time you find this data crystal, I shall be long gone. It is clear to me now that none of you trust me any longer and perhaps if the images on Makoto's holovid are true… And that I really did those things… then I do not deserve your trust. I…" Rei stops as she winces in pain and clinch at her bandaged forehead.

Recovering, Rei looks back at the holo-recorder and continues. "You are right Ami-chan, I have failed Serenity…" The image pauses as the raven haired girl glance up the ceiling. A moment later the holovid resumes.

"I was unable to protect her and I take full responsibility for the incident. I am leaving behind my communicator and henshin pen to prevent further shame and dishonor from falling upon the Senshi. Effective immediately I, Rei the Princess of Mars, also known as Sailor Mars hereby resign as Sailor Senshi. Minister Philolaus can find me on Mars, when he is ready to file charges. The answers are on Mars and it is there I will return." The holovid ends at that point, only to recommence a minute later.

"I know you no longer have any reason to believe anything I say, but for what it is worth. The Sar'tekh who has taken Serenity is a powerful shaman named M'thos, however this shaman is unlike any that I have heard of before, and his allegiance does not appear to belong to either Set or the Serpents of the Light. Instead he and the other Sar'tekh had repeatedly mentioned a Demon Goddess,' and the shaman has a tattooed glyph of a coiled asp grasping a rose in its mouth." The holovid ends at this point and does not resume.

"Rhett Battler," Queen Selene began summoning the Secretary of State. "Dispatch a message to Mars requesting that they return the Princess Rei immediately, it appears a terrible misunderstanding has occurred."

"By your command, Your Majesty." The Mau replied and left to carryout his duty.

"Girls," Queen Selene said turning to the Senshi. "I promise you everything is going to be alright. We will find Serenity and Rei, and bring them home to us. But for now, please rest, especially you Aphrodite." Selene smiled affectionately before adding, "And Minako-chan no more coffee for you until you are older."

After the Senshi had departed, Queen Selene turned to other matters of state until an hour later the heavy set lunar cat returned.

"Your Majesty," Rhett Battler began.

"What news from Mars, do you bring Lord Secretary?" Queen Selene asked.

"None, my liege. Perhaps the Orb on their side is damaged?" The lunar cat suggested.

"I do not like this, thank you Rhett. Lady Luna, send a message to the Admiralty requesting that they dispatch a fast corvette to Mars with the purpose of retrieving Princess Rei." The Queen of the Silver Millennium said, as the court burst into whispers and the Minister of Defense squirmed nervously as he noted the Queen had bypassed him with Luna.

* * *

_8:15 P.M. Local Time_

_Tenshi District, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_6th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Day turned to night, and a cloaked figure made his way through the crowded streets of the white city of Tsuki-Yumi, waved down a lightweight horse-drawn carriage and the figure arrived in the wealthy Tenshi district. Stopping at a lavished townhouse, the figure made sure that he was unobserved, and then he quietly entered, only to cut his hand on the doorknob. Cursing he sucked his forefinger as he moved into the shadow filled luxurious living room.

Minoru Sato the Baron of Anaximenes, removed his cloak as he spied a silhouette waiting in the shadows. "Danburite is that you? You said you had some new information for me?" The Lord-General whispered.

"Danburite, is there something wrong? Why-" Minoru never got to complete his sentence for at that moment he began convulsing, as the drug he came into contact with when he scratched his hand on the doorknob took effect. The last thing he saw was a tall, boyishly handsome man with light hair and steel blue eyes, clothed in a black form fitting combat stealthsuit, emerge out of the shadows…

A few hours later, the 2nd Lieutenant took his position in shadows joining the other Venusian Commandos who were guarding the doorway to where their princess, Sailor Venus at long last peacefully slept. Making eye contact with his brothers and sisters at arms, the Venusian Commando silent took their, nods of appreciation.

None shall pass, who intend harm…' The Second Lieutenant thought to himself, reciting the unit motto. The 2nd Lieutenant loved Venus, and would die for her. Venus was his home and Minako was his princess, and unlike the other solders of the Silver Millennium, his first and only loyalty was to Venus…

Smiling inwardly the Venusian knew that tomorrow the public heralds will announce that the City Watch, who was responding to an anonymous tip concerning illegal drugs will find Lord-General Minoru Sato, Commander of the Royal Brigade of Guards, the Baron of Anaximenes and his _"homosexual lover"_ Daichi Suzuki, a minor nobleman from Venus and a long suspected drug peddler of illegal Venusian recreational drugs were founded died due to an overdose of Bliss.

To the light haired Venusian 2nd Lieutenant, it wasn't enough to simply kill Minoru Sato; no he had to destroy the conservative and homophobic nobleman's reputation as well. After all, The Lord-General tried to destroy his princess' good name. As for Daichi Suzuki he was guilty of the sin of selling Golden Rush to the ten year old Princess Minako.

* * *

_6:43 A.M. Local Time_

_Princess Serenity Private Chambers, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_7th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

During the predawn hours of Tsuki-Yumi Princess Ami of Mercury entered the empty private chambers of High Princess Serenity. It seemed a quiet lonely place without the presence of regal Serenity or Usagi, Serenity's rambunctious alter-ego and perhaps her true self.

Running her hand across the end of Serenity's empty king size bed, feeling the cool cotton sheets in her finger tips, Ami happened to glance up at Serenity's rotating shelf of toys, and her eyes widen in recognition.

"Computer, reverse rotation on toy shelf S3," the Senshi of Water and Knowledge commanded and the computer compiled and she order it to stop and to open the stasis field. Ami the former Goddess of Creation whispered as she removed an archaic doll tens of thousand of years old. "The dolly she wanted…"

"If the dream was real…" Ami reasoned. "No not a dream, but a memory… In that case, we are all far older then we ever had thought… I wonder just _how_ _many live times_ have we lived…"

"Computer display all of Princess Serenity's toys and divide them by age group," Mercury commanded. And the computer began flashing a list of the toys stored in the hyper-dimensional pocket …five minutes later Ami command it stop for the computer still was in age 1.

"That is not going to work. Alright computer, display all holographic photos of Princess Serenity, starting with the oldest on file." The Princess of Mercury said.

"**Accessed Denied**," The wall computer responded.

"On whose authority?" Ami questioned.

"**Queen Selene**." The wall computer flashed.

* * *

_6:50 A.M Local Time _

_Royal Parade Grounds, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_7th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

Defense Minister Philolaus was not a happy man, moments earlier he had committed about Lord-General Sato's death to the Royal Quartermaster. "Who knew that Minoru was _like_ that?" he had said.

"Not me." General Idomeneus, the Royal Quartermaster replied, as they rode to the parade grounds were his duel with Sir Artemis was to be fought. Not that he was concerned about crossing blades with the Mau, nor was Philolaus upset that Lord Sato had died before he could obtain a data crystal copy of Daichi Suzuki's holovid confession from this Danburite person, whoever he or she maybe. No he, Defense Minister Philolaus was upset because of the top holovid story of the week.

The top story of week was not Baron Anaximenes scandalous death, nor was it despite all silver coins he had spent bribing public heralds to broadcast the revelation that Princess Rei was indeed Bellona. No ironically the top story of the week, the one that will be remember by the people of the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium at large will be his own duel with Sir Artemis.

The people of the White Moon were a peaceful people at heart and distain such acts of barbarity, but when word had leaked out that he had insulted Princess Minako. The people became incensed and were clamoring for his blood. Sir Artemis however was publicly proclaimed as hero for defending Minako's honor. Although Rhett Battler had warned him that the Princes of Venus was widely popular, Philolaus had no idea just how popular until now…

"I am convinced Sir, that it is just that time month. I am positive that your wife and daughters will see reason and move back home soon." General Idomeneus reassured.

"It is that my little Rin just kick me in the shins," Philolaus complained.

"Girls can be impressionable at that age," The Royal Quartermaster smoothly said.

"True enough," the Defense Minister sighed. "I just wished I had more time to spend with my family. I did not even know that Rin was the President of the local chapter of Princess Minako fan club.

"It is the sacrifice we all must make to build a better Moon Kingdom and to keep it safe from Ares and his kind." The elderly Idomeneus advised pushing back his silvery-white hair.

Philolaus silently nodded in agreement. He did not act out of greed or self-interest; he truly believed that Mars posed a threat to the Silver Millennium and the White Moon.

"History will exonerate you and don't let those hooligans who egged your townhouse get you down either," Idomeneus continued.

The Defense Minster glanced out of the carriage and saw that despite the foul weather and that it was predawn, a large crowd had gather to watch the duel in person. While others had setup a live holovid broadcast equipment and was planning to watch the duel from the nearby picnic grounds. Some entrepreneur had begun selling a stuff Artemis pushy cat dolls, while other enterprising souls were selling other souvenirs…

* * *

"She did not show," Artemis sighed. As he watch the Defense Minster disembarked from his carriage.

"I am sure Luna is just busy helping Queen Selene, bring Rei back." Minako giggled as she tapped Artemis on the shoulder with stick. "Now listen up you old tom-cat, cause if don't pay attention… then in the name of Venus I will punish you!"

"May the Gods forbid," Artemis smirked.

"Philolaus tends to broadcast his lunges by raising his foot slightly like this," Minako said as demonstrated by raising her foot as so and holding a stick like a rapier. "Now, Philolaus is predisposed towards the Yamagushi style of fencing, which favors speed and footwork, however the Yamagushi style has one flaw…"

* * *

"That fool, who does that tom-cat think he is challenging the Defense Minister like that." Lady Luna muttered to herself as she paddled down the white marble hall.

To her left she heard some giggling, "He is so handsome!" Luna heard, a female voice exclaimed.

"Kaguya, you sult. Sir Artemis is lunar cat," Another girlish giggled.

"I don't care! His human form is dreamy." Kaguya replied.

Luna turned the corner and saw three handmaidens setting in one of the Palace's staff recreation rooms, watching a live holovid broadcast of the parade grounds…

"Kaguya's right Tomoko! Artemis is cute!" A third handmaiden cried out, waving a hand made Artemis banner.

"Hush, the duel is about to begin," Tomoko said.

* * *

The Defense Minister watched as Rhett Battler made eyed contact with him and gave him a friendly smile that said. "I told you so."

Then the lunar cat, like the ardent politician he was turn to speak with one of Philolaus political enemies in a same friendly tone. Philolaus, at that returned his attention back to the arbitrator as he focused on the up coming duel.

* * *

Philolaus advanced on Artemis his lighter and faster rapier flashing, forcing the lunar cat's slower and heavier Venusian saber on the defensive. His rapier faked to the left as he slightly raised his right foot slightly lunged forward to strike… thin air, the wiry Mau somehow read his intentions.

Now it was Artemis turn to force him to retreat, and despite that his Venusian forged sword was slower, the white tom-cat expertly wielded his saber forcing him to respond. With each teeth shattering parry, Philolaus felt his sword arm grow numb against the heavier blade. And had the Defense Minister been using any other blade he would have feared the rapier would shatter under the blows but he was wielding Moon Falcon a family heirloom in which according to family legend was a gift from the Moon Goddess Selene herself to a heroic family member during the last GodsWar, family legend also states that Moon Falcon would never shatter, if wield under a just cause.

Philolaus gave ground until he realized that Artemis was using a lunar style know as Ironweaver, a style designed to counter his. The Defense Minister shifted his stance, and formed into the aggressive and in-your-face, Admete style. A style favored by some very aggressive and reckless Jovians, and launched his counter-attack. Moon Falcon entered into a symphony of motion and quickly broke through Artemis' defenses and scored two hits. The first on Artemis face starting below his left eye and down his cheek and a before the Mau could react Artemis received a deep thrust into his' left arm.

If the duel was to first blood it would have ended then and there with Philolaus the victor, but it was to the death.

Artemis counter with a compound-riposte, with attacks centered both against Moon Falcon, as the lunar-cat tried to batter his way through the Defense Minister's guard, in addition to a series of multiple feints and counteracts in the Lyon style that Artemis was known to favor.

In spite of his efforts, Artemis was unable to penetrate through Philolaus' flawless defense. He tried to sidestep to hi right in an effort to avoid the Defense Minister's riposte, however he was an instant too slow and received a light cut to his left ribs.

The lunar-cat winced in pain as Moon Falcon dipped down passed through his defenses and pierced into his right thigh. Sir Artemis's raised his saber for a two hand strike and in that instant the Dawn crested over the horizon and the sword began to glow in Eos' Holy Light. Artemis attacked his saber on course to decapitate the Defense Minister.

Philolaus, however was on guard and moved to parry the might blow, the two blades meet in a flash, as Sir Artemis' Venusian forged saber cut through Moon Falcon at the hilt and before the Minister could reacted he found himself penned to a tree with Artemis' sword at his throat.

"Mercy," Philolaus found himself whispering. Glancing down at the broken rapier in his hand, he thought. 'This CAN NOT BE! How could Moon Falcon fall? My cause was just!... Wasn't it? Bellona, Aries and the Martians are EVIL! The Silver Millennium must be made to see it must strike now, while the Martians are ill prepared for war, before Ares can consolidate his gains in Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri) and recall his legions.'

"What was you said?" Artemis said.

Gritting his teeth, the Defense Minister said in a louder voice so that everyone including the holovid recorders could hear. "Mercy, I yield."

"Apologize to Princess Minako and I will spare your worthless life," Artemis demanded.

"I was wrong, about the Princess Minako. I was led astray by rumors I heard from eek-" Philolaus began.

"Uh-uh, don't try to shift the blame," Artemis said pressing the tip of the blade so that it was slowly drawing blood from the lunar's neck.

"I was lead astray by my desire to humiliate her, and to weaken the public's love of her." Philolaus confess.

Artemis removed his saber from the humiliated Defense Minister, turn his back on him and walk away.

As the crowd burst into cheers of:

"Sir Artemis! Sir Artemis!"

Back in the Palace, Luna watch with a taint of jealously as Minako brought her arms around Artemis and hugged her champion.

That should be me... I should be at his side," she thought, before she stopped herself. Wait what am I thinking? It is not that I actually _like_ that mangy tom-cat; I have Rhett who is articulate, charming and witty.'

Glancing one last look, back at the holovid, she thought. Still Artemis did appear relatively dashing…'

* * *

_8:51 A.M. Local Time_

_Royal Throne Room, Lunar Palace, Tsuki-Yumi_

_White Moon Kingdom, The Silver Millennium_

_7th Day of the Month of Hekate_

_978th Year of the 3rd Cycle_

"Captain Peleus of the fast corvette _S.M._S. _Ki-Rin_ reporting in Your Highness." The Royal Navy man said.

"A pleasure, Captain Peleus." Queen Selene responded to the holographic transmission. "Do you have Princess Rei aboard?"

"No, Your Highness. When I made the official inquiry with the Martian officials they claimed that _King Ares_ never had a daughter name Rei." The Captain replied.

"Did you say Ares the Regent has taken the title of King?" The Moon Goddess questioned.

"Yes, Your Highness." Peleus verified.

"Queen Selene what does that mean?" Makoto asked.

"It means that Rei is in far more danger than we thought." Selene answered before turning to Luna. "Contact the Admiralty and have them ready the fleet. We are going to pay our _respects to King Ares."

* * *

_

_Time Unknown,_

_Place Unknown_

Princess Serenity awoke with a groan and grumbled, "Rei stop shaking my bed, you're so mean! I am getting up already."

Looking up after her world has stopped spinning, she realized she was alone in a spartan five feet by ten feet room that was not hers'.

"Rei-chan?" She whispered, and suddenly she remembered what has happened. "REI-CHAN!"

"Minako-chan! Ami-chan! Makoto-chan! Luna! Minna! Is there anyone there?" Serenity shouted as she found the door locked.

Sinking down to her knees, with her forehead pressed against the door and she cried in a small girl voice. "Mama…"

* * *

Additional Disclaimer: In addition to not owning Sailor Moon, I also do not own Sid Miller's Civilization, Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K, Arthur C. Clark's 2001 or the concept of Christmas.

Author Notes:

I would first like to thank Bruteaous and Raining Silver for reviewing the story. And the rest of you for reading it.

One of these days we will finally get out of the Prologue Chapter 1-4 is the prologue and the story should start in Chapter Five, were I had originally had plan on introducing Jadeite and Endymion, but I will try to work them in a short scene in the next chapter. But they are still on target in meeting Rei in Chapter Five.

Baka is basically an all-purpose insult towards the subject's intelligence. Depending on the tone of the voice, it can range in severity from "silly to "idiot"

Himi mean princess

Minna means everyone

Mythical Notes:

Ami in her pastlife was M.E. (a.k.a. **The** Mercurial Experiment) the Goddess of Civilization and is the daughter/creation of Enki is the God of Water, Intellect, Wisdom and Medicine from the Sumerian Pantheon which I though give his portfolio would make an ideal father for Ami. Then I read on said on his bio that he held the secret of me (civilization) which is where I came up with the back story for Ami.

Makoto was in (this story) her pastlife a demigoddess name Lyta. Lyta was the daughter of Hercules and the Amazon Queen Hippolyta and the Grand-daughter of Zeus and Alcmene. In Greek Mythology, Hercules seduced and later killed Hippolyta in obtaining her girdle during story The Seven Labors of Hercules, but in this story they married and had Lyta.

Bellona according to Encyclopedia Mythica is the Roman Goddess of War and was believed to be of Etruscan origin. Bellona many worshiped by Roman soldiers, se was said to accompanied Mars into battle, and was variously given as his wife, sister or daughter dependent on who telling the story, She had a temple on the Capitolinus (inaugurated in 296 B.C. and was burned down in 48 B.C.) Her festival was celebrated on June 3.

Bellona's attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet and armed with a spear and a torch, and is identified with the Greek Goddess Enyo.

On Serenity and M.E. with the jelly bean, I was brain storming ideas of the a modern day story when I had a flash of Minako wearing a Tom Baker's Doctor Who outfit, and she was offering Ami a jelly bean after Ami ask Minako why did she asked Ami to design a time machine in the shape of a blue police telephone booth. (It was for a story where Minako and Ami had to travel back in time to correct the timeline. (With Setsuna MIA) and Ami's "nutritional supplement" was basically from the Jetsons.

On the Silver Millennium soldiers:

The Royal Guards are loosely based on the Roman Legion.

The Jovian Legion are loosely based off the Greek Hoplite Phalanx

And the Venusian Commandos are loosely based off of the Ninjas and modern day special forces.

And Kotono Mitsuichi is the voice actress who plays Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon.

Coming Up:

Chapter Three: Lies, Deception and the Truth of Fire


End file.
